Prophylactic Cancer Vaccines Engineered to Elicit Specific Adaptive Immune Response

Abstract

Vaccines have been used to prevent and eradicate different diseases for over 200 years, and new vaccine technologies have the potential to prevent many common illnesses. Cancer, despite many advances in therapeutics, is still the second leading causes of death in the United States. Prophylactic, or preventative, cancer vaccines have the potential to reduce cancer prevalence by initiating a specific immune response that will target cancer before it can develop. Cancer vaccines can include many different components, such as peptides and carbohydrates, and be fabricated for delivery using a variety of means including through incorporation of stabilizing chemicals like polyethylene glycol (PEG) and pan-DR helper T-lymphocyte epitope (PADRE), fusion with antigen-presenting cells (APCs), microneedle patches, and liposomal encapsulation. There are currently five cancer vaccines used in the clinic, protecting against either human papillomavirus (HPV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV), and preventing several different types of cancer including cervical and oral cancer. Prophylactic cancer vaccines can promote three different types of adaptive responses: humoral (B cell, or antibody-mediated), cellular (T cell) or a combination of the two types. Each vaccine has its advantages and challenges at eliciting an adaptive immune response, but these prophylactic cancer vaccines in development have the potential to prevent or delay tumor development, and reduce the incidence of many common cancers.

Chimeric virus-like particles presenting tumour-associated MUC1 epitope result in high titers of specific IgG antibodies in the presence of squalene oil-in-water adjuvant: towards safe cancer immunotherapy

“…Currently, prophylactic cancer vaccines available on the market target oncoviruses such as human papillomavirus and hepatitis B virus. They have successfully prevented cervical cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma [ 39 ]. This report is the first to describe the possibility of attaining efficient expression of genetically engineered chimeric NoV-based VLPs presenting TAA in the L. tarentolae protozoan.…”

Nanotechnology-enabled immunoengineering approaches to advance therapeutic applications

“…Tumor lysates encompass the full array of TAA and can elicit potent anti-tumor immunity [ 43 ]. Adjuvant and combination immunotherapies with peptide or nucleic acid-based vaccines are being investigated as potential ways to bolster stronger and longer-lasting immune responses against cancer cells [ 44 , 45 ].…”

Harnessing the Immune System with Cancer Vaccines: From Prevention to Therapeutics

“…For example, Sipuleucel-T (Provenge), a dendritic cell vaccine (discussed below) that is approved for use in some men with metastatic prostate cancer, stimulates an immune response to prostatic acid phosphatase, an antigen present in most prostate cancers [ 58 ]. These vaccines increase the level of IgG antibodies targeting tumor-specific antigens, thereby promoting the priming of T cells and their ability to detect cancer [ 59 ]. In the cellular process, T cells directly mount an immune response against protein-based tumor antigens ( Figure 1 B) [ 57 ].…”