Over the course of evolution, the immune system has developed effective mechanisms to detect pathogens invading the body from outside and to eliminate them before they can cause major damage. However, the body is also exposed to dangers from inside. Such threats can take the form of genetic mutations from which a tumor can ultimately develop. But how do these abnormal cells elude detection by the immune system? Which immune evasion mechanisms do they use? In order to be able to develop new immunotherapy approaches in the treatment of cancer, it is first necessary to identify these mechanisms.
