Strategies for Cancer Vaccine Development

Treating cancer with vaccines has been a challenging field of investigation since the 1950s. Over the years, the lack of effective active immunotherapies has led to the development of numerous novel strategies. However, the use of therapeutic cancer vaccines may be on the verge of becoming an effective modality. Recent phase II/III clinical trials have achieved hopeful results in terms of overall survival. Yet despite these encouraging successes, in general, very little is known about the basic immunological mechanisms involved in vaccine immunotherapy. In addition to clinical benefits, cancer vaccine clinical trials should focus on better understanding the mechanisms underlying the distinct immune responses (e.g., cytotoxic T lymphocytes, CD4 T helper cells, T regulatory cells, cells of innate immunity, and tumor escape mechanisms) elicited by each of the different vaccine platforms. This study examines recent therapeutic cancer vaccination clinical trials' current approaches from a clinical and immunological perspective. Key Words: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes, therapeutic cancer, vaccine immunotherapy, tumor escape mechanisms, cancer vaccination