Recent advances in mRNA-based cancer vaccines encoding immunostimulants and their delivery strategies.

J Control Release

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. Electronic address:

Published: December 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • The rise of drug resistance and poor effectiveness of traditional cancer treatments highlights the urgent need for new therapies, making immunotherapy a promising alternative that leverages the immune system to attack cancer cells.
  • mRNA cancer vaccines are an emerging area within immunotherapy, particularly those focusing on immune stimulatory mRNAs, which have not been as widely studied as others.
  • This review aims to detail the current landscape of these mRNA-based cancer vaccines, including their mechanisms, delivery methods, recent research findings, and potential challenges moving forward.

Article Abstract

The high prevalence of drug resistance, relapse, and unfavorable response rate of conventional cancer therapies necessitate the development of more efficient treatment modalities. Immunotherapy represents a novel therapeutic approach to cancer treatment in which the immune system's potential is harnessed to recognize and eliminate tumor cells. mRNA cancer vaccines, as a burgeoning field of immunotherapy, have recently drawn particular attention, and among mRNAs encoding tumor-associated antigens, tumor-specific antigens, and immune stimulatory factors, the latter has been relatively less explored. These immunostimulatory mRNAs encode a range of proteins, including stimulatory ligands, receptors, enzymes, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and inhibitory binding proteins, which collectively augment the host immune system's ability against cancerous cells. In this review, we aimed to provide a comprehensive account of mRNA-based cancer vaccines encoding immune stimulants, encompassing their current status, mechanisms of action, delivery strategies employed, as well as recent advances in preclinical and clinical studies. The potential challenges, strategies and future perspectives have also been discussed.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.10.035DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

cancer vaccines
12
mrna-based cancer
8
vaccines encoding
8
delivery strategies
8
immune system's
8
cancer
5
advances mrna-based
4
encoding immunostimulants
4
immunostimulants delivery
4
strategies high
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!