Immunotherapy in prostate cancer: Emerging strategies against a formidable foe

Abstract

Recent clinical trials have shown therapeutic vaccines to be promising treatment modalities against prostate cancer. Unlike preventive vaccines that teach the immune system to fight off specific microorganisms, therapeutic vaccines stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack certain cancer-associated proteins. Additional strategies are being investigated that combine vaccines and standard therapeutics, including radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and hormonal therapy, to optimize the vaccines’ effects. Recent vaccine late-phase clinical trials have reported evidence of clinical benefit while maintaining excellent quality of life. One such vaccine, sipuleucel-T, was recently FDA-approved for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Another vaccine, PSA-TRICOM, is also showing promise in completed and ongoing randomized multicenter clinical trials in both early and late stage prostate cancer. Clinical results available to date indicate that immune-based therapies could play a significant role in the treatment of prostate and other malignancies.

DNA fusion-gene vaccination in patients with prostate cancer induces high-frequency CD8+ T-cell responses and increases PSA doubling time

“…A randomized phase III trial showed that prostate-associated antigens can be effectively targeted by vaccination [4]. The improved median survival of 4.1 months in late-stage disease was not mirrored by PSA changes [4], an observation also made in other immunotherapy studies [14]. Although Sipuleucel-T sets a treatment paradigm, producing a new patient-specific vaccine is a technical, financial and logistical challenge.…”

LncRNA PVT1 predicts prognosis and regulates tumor growth in prostate cancer

“…It has become the top leading cause of cancer-related death in men with increasing morbidity in the developing world. [1][2][3][4] Although the therapeutic options, including radical prostatectomy or radiation, could successfully cure the majority of patients, disease recurrence (approximately 30-40%) is still the major factor impairing survival of the patients with advanced prostate cancer. [5][6][7] Therefore, it is urgently required to clarify the underlying mechanisms of prostate cancer development, and to identify a biomarker for the early detection of prostate cancer.…”

Prostate cancer: emerging pharmacotherapeutic modalities

“…3,38 Out of the many treatment approaches against recurrent prostate cancer that no longer responds to hormonal agents, immunotherapy is particularly promising, due to several unique characteristics of both the disease and the treatment. 39 For better response and treatment the vaccines can also be used in combination with other therapeutic approaches like radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy etc.…”