Dendritic Cell-Based and Other Vaccination Strategies for Pediatric Cancer

Abstract

Dendritic cell-based and other vaccination strategies that use the patient’s own immune system for the treatment of cancer are gaining momentum. Most studies of therapeutic cancer vaccination have been performed in adults. However, since cancer is one of the leading causes of death among children past infancy in the Western world, the hope is that this form of active specific immunotherapy can play an important role in the pediatric population as well. Since children have more vigorous and adaptable immune systems than adults, therapeutic cancer vaccines are expected to have a better chance of creating protective immunity and preventing cancer recurrence in pediatric patients. Moreover, in contrast to conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, therapeutic cancer vaccines are designed to specifically target tumor cells and not healthy cells or tissues. This reduces the likelihood of side effects, which is an important asset in this vulnerable patient population. In this review, we present an overview of the different therapeutic cancer vaccines that have been studied in the pediatric population, with a main focus on dendritic cell-based strategies. In addition, new approaches that are currently being investigated in clinical trials are discussed to provide guidance for further improvement and optimization of pediatric cancer vaccines.

Profiles of immune cell infiltration and immune-related genes in the tumor microenvironment of osteosarcoma

“…The most promising clinical effects were observed in cases with limited disease or complete response, in whom the complete response state could be maintained upon dendritic cell-vaccination, preventing the tumor from recurring. Conversely, dendritic cell-vaccination shows reduced effects in cases with progressive disease or elevated residual tumor load, most likely for the extremely high immunosuppressive burden of malignant cells, with insufficient time to produce appropriate antitumor immune reactions [31].…”

Distinct immunopathological mechanisms of EBV-positive and EBV-negative posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders

“…The low latent EBV‐specific Th1 CD4 + T cell responses generally observed in transplanted patients 8,14,18 are another factor that might difficult the establishment of protective CD8 + T cell responses in EBV‐seronegative patients, while limiting the acquisition of protective repertoire in EBV‐seropositive patients. The alterations of EBV‐specific T cell responses we report provide new insights in the immunopathology of EBV‐positive PTLDs and could promote the development of innovating immunotherapies, such as adoptive EBV‐specific T cell transfer 20,21,59 and therapeutic vaccination 60,61 …”

Epigenomics and immunotherapeutic advances in pediatric brain tumors

“…Antitumor vaccines are designed to overcome an immune system that has been trained to tolerate the tumor. There are multiple approaches to vaccine design; the specific methods are described elsewhere 149 – 154 .…”