Immunotherapy for cancer is a topic of intense research worldwide. Every year several thousand scientific studies are published on this topic. The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for immuno-oncological research twice in recent years.

In 2018, James Allison und Tasuku Honjo were honored for their research on stimulating the ability of the immune system to attack cancer cells. The so-called checkpoint inhibitors are based on their findings. 

In 2011, the prize was awarded for the discovery of dendritic cells and research into the toll-like receptors that play a central role in the immunological reaction during therapies with oncolytic viruses, such as NDV. This research was groundbreaking for immunological oncology.