Therapeutic cancer vaccines revamping: technology advancements and pitfalls

Abstract

Cancer vaccines (CVs) represent a long-sought therapeutic and prophylactic immunotherapy strategy to obtain antigen-specific T-cell responses, and potentially achieve long-term clinical benefit. However, historically, most CV clinical trials have resulted in disappointing outcomes, despite promising signs of immunogenicity across most formulations. In the past decade, technologic advances regarding vaccine delivery platforms, tools for immunogenomic profiling and antigen/epitope selection have occurred. Consequently, the ability of CVs to induce tumor-specific and, in some cases, remarkable clinical responses have been observed in early-phase clinical trials. It is notable that the record-breaking speed of vaccine development in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic mainly relied on manufacturing infrastructures and technological platforms already developed for CVs. In turn, research, clinical data, and infrastructures put in place for the SARS-CoV2 pandemic can further speed CV development processes. This review outlines the main technological advancements as well as major issues to tackle in the development of CVs. Possible applications for unmet clinical needs will be described, putting into perspective the future of cancer vaccinology.

HER2 Low, Ultra-low, and Novel Complementary Biomarkers: Expanding the Spectrum of HER2 Positivity in Breast Cancer

“…The current evidence on HER2-targeting therapies in HER2-low breast cancer arises from several translational research studies employing various classes of monoclonal antibodies, ADC, and bispecific antibodies ( Venetis et al, 2020a ). Anti-HER2 vaccines and cellular immunotherapy have been also tested in HER2-low breast cancer with continuously gaining interest ( Venetis et al, 2020a ; Antonarelli et al, 2021a ). The efficacy of trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody that binds the HER2 extracellular domain preventing receptor dimerization, is well-defined both in metastatic and early HER2+ breast cancer ( Hudis 2007 ).…”

Emerging Trends in Immunotherapy for Cancer

“…The last decade has seen significant progress and technological advancements in cancer vaccine research, such as tools for immunogenomic profiling and the discovery of novel antigen repertoires, formulation methodologies, and delivery platforms [ 304 ]. Advances in cancer vaccine research have resulted in the development of many therapeutic cancer vaccine candidates that effectively increase antigen presentation, activate effector T cells, and overcome tumor-induced immunosuppressive pathways.…”

Update Breast Cancer 2022 Part 1 – Early Stage Breast Cancer

“…Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been developed extremely quickly. The platforms used for this purpose were initially developed, among other things, for the rapid production of cancer vaccines 31 , 32 , 33 . It is now hoped that the leap in development and the available data on the safety of such a vaccine can significantly advance this field of research.…”

“…Die Entwicklung der Impfstoffe gegen SARS-CoV-2 erfolgte in einer atemberaubenden Geschwindigkeit. Die dafür verwendeten Plattformen wurden zuvor unter anderem für ein schnelles Herstellen von Krebs-Impfstoffen entwickelt 31 , 32 , 33 . Man erhofft sich nun, dass der Entwicklungssprung und die nun vorhandenen Informationen über die Sicherheit einer solchen Impfung diesen Forschungszweig deutlich vorwärts bringen können.…”