Advances in therapeutic cancer vaccines: Harnessing immune adjuvants for enhanced efficacy and future perspectives.

Comput Struct Biotechnol J

State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China.

Published: December 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Preventive cancer vaccines are effective against cancers caused by viral infections, but progress in therapeutic vaccines designed to eliminate existing cancer cells is limited.
  • *The integration of better adjuvants—substances that enhance the body's immune response—is crucial for improving therapeutic cancer vaccines, as current conventional adjuvants do not meet clinical trial standards.
  • *The review focuses on advancements in therapeutic cancer vaccines, exploring innovative vaccination strategies and novel adjuvants that can work alongside other immunotherapies to boost therapeutic outcomes.

Article Abstract

Preventive cancer vaccines are highly effective in preventing viral infection-induced cancer, but advances in therapeutic cancer vaccines with a focus on eliminating cancer cells through immunotherapy are limited. To develop therapeutic cancer vaccines, the integration of optimal adjuvants is a potential strategy to enhance or complement existing therapeutic approaches. However, conventional adjuvants do not satisfy the criteria of clinical trials for therapeutic cancer vaccines. To improve the effects of adjuvants in therapeutic cancer vaccines, effective vaccination strategies must be formulated and novel adjuvants must be identified. This review offers an overview of the current advancements in therapeutic cancer vaccines and highlights in situ vaccination approaches that can be synergistically combined with other immunotherapies by harnessing the adjuvant effects. Additionally, the refinement of adjuvant systems using cutting-edge technologies and the elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying immunogenic cell death to facilitate the development of innovative adjuvants have been discussed.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11066472PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.054DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

cancer vaccines
28
therapeutic cancer
24
cancer
9
advances therapeutic
8
vaccines
7
adjuvants
6
therapeutic
6
vaccines harnessing
4
harnessing immune
4
immune adjuvants
4

Similar Publications

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody positivity on infection and hospitalisation rates in immunosuppressed populations during the omicron period: the MELODY study.

Lancet

January 2025

Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK; Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK. Electronic address:

Background: In the UK, booster COVID-19 vaccinations have been recommended biannually to people considered immune vulnerable. We investigated, at a population level, whether the absence of detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG antibody (anti-S Ab) following three or more vaccinations in immunosuppressed individuals was associated with greater risks of infection and severity of infection.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study using UK national disease registers, we recruited participants with solid organ transplants (SOTs), rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases (RAIRDs), and lymphoid malignancies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Beyond Chemotherapy: Exploring 5-FU Resistance and Stemness in Colorectal Cancer.

Eur J Pharmacol

January 2025

School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar - 751024, Odisha, India. Electronic address:

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health challenge, demanding continuous advancements in treatment strategies. This review explores the complexities of targeting colorectal cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the mechanisms contributing to resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The efficacy of 5-FU is enhanced by combination therapies such as FOLFOXIRI and targeted treatments like bevacizumab, cetuximab, and panitumumab, particularly in KRAS wild-type tumors, despite associated toxicity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer death that has limited treatment options for advanced stages. Although PD-1 inhibitors such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been approved for advanced HCC treatment, their effectiveness is often hampered by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which is due to hypoxia-driven CXCL12/CXCR4 axis activation. In this study, we developed 807-NPs, lipid-coated tannic acid (TA) nanoparticles that encapsulate BPRCX807, a potent CXCR4 antagonist to target HCC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Telomerase in cancer- ongoing quest and future discoveries.

Mol Biol Rep

January 2025

Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.

Telomerase, constituted by the dynamic duo of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the catalytic entity, and an integral RNA component (TERC), is predominantly suppressed in differentiated human cells due to postnatal transcriptional repression of the TERT gene. Dysregulation of telomerase significantly contributes to cancer development via telomere-dependent and independent mechanisms. Telomerase activity is often elevated in advanced cancers, with TERT reactivation and upregulation of TERC observed in early tumorigenesis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a re-emerging respiratory pathogen causing significant morbidity and mortality, particularly among young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. First identified in 2001, HMPV has since been recognised as a leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) worldwide. Its transmission occurs through droplets, direct contact, and surface contamination, with crowded spaces and healthcare facilities serving as key environmental amplifiers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!