Cancer and IgE

Allergies are caused by a person s own IgE antibodies directed against innocuous antigens like pollen or house dust mites. Interestingly, several studies have examined the relation between allergies or level of IgE and malignancies and have found an inverse association suggesting a natural role of IgE in cancer immunosurveillance. Is it thus possible that IgE immunoglobulins could have a beneficial function against cancer besides their harmful function in allergy? If so, can we exploit this beneficial function for the development of new cancer therapies? Could oncologists learn from allergists and vice versa? This book attempts to explore step by step these interesting questions, opening a novel science field: AllergoOncology. There are increasing relevant evidences in favor of the role of IgE in cancer immune surveillance and there are several new approaches exploiting IgE to treat cancer which include the development of IgE specific for cancer antigens, the use of using IgE as adjuvant of cancer vaccines, and novel vaccination approaches capable of triggering an anti-tumor IgE response. The book will include extensive epidemiological studies and preclinical results of IgE-based approaches.