Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
12:42

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo

Published on: January 7, 2019

Vaccines based on abnormal self-antigens as tumor-associated antigens: immune regulation

Adam M Farkas1, Olivera J Finn

  • 1Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, E1044, Biomedical Science Tower, 200 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.

Seminars in Immunology
|April 21, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Developing cancer vaccines targeting abnormal self-antigens is challenging. Research in mouse models and clinical trials reveals immune regulation mechanisms, enabling effective cancer immunity without autoimmunity.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Tumor cells express abnormal "self" antigens, presenting unique targets for cancer vaccines.
  • Inducing effective anti-tumor immunity faces challenges from regulatory mechanisms within the immune system and tumor microenvironment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review pre-clinical and clinical research on regulatory mechanisms interfering with cancer vaccine efficacy.
  • To discuss strategies for designing effective cancer vaccines that overcome immune tolerance and avoid autoimmunity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of pre-clinical studies using transgenic mouse models.
  • Analysis of data from human clinical trials investigating cancer vaccines.
  • Examination of immune regulatory mechanisms in the context of tumor-associated antigens.

Main Results:

  • Elucidation of multiple regulatory mechanisms that suppress anti-tumor immune responses.
  • Identification of immune system functions and tumor microenvironment factors contributing to immune interference.
  • Demonstration that effective immunity against tumor-associated antigens can be induced without self-reactivity.

Conclusions:

  • Cancer vaccines targeting tumor-associated antigens can elicit effective immunity.
  • Overcoming immune regulatory mechanisms is crucial for successful cancer vaccine development.
  • Strategies exist to design cancer vaccines that stimulate anti-tumor immunity without causing autoimmunity.

More Related Videos

Experimental Melanoma Immunotherapy Model Using Tumor Vaccination with a Hematopoietic Cytokine09:15

Experimental Melanoma Immunotherapy Model Using Tumor Vaccination with a Hematopoietic Cytokine

Published on: February 24, 2023

Tailoring In Vivo Cytotoxicity Assays to Study Immunodominance in Tumor-specific CD8+ T Cell Responses10:13

Tailoring In Vivo Cytotoxicity Assays to Study Immunodominance in Tumor-specific CD8+ T Cell Responses

Published on: May 6, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
Cancer Vaccines01:30

Cancer Vaccines

Cancer treatment vaccines are a rapidly evolving field that offers a promising approach to immunotherapy. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent diseases, cancer treatment vaccines are designed to treat existing cancers by stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
Vaccinations01:51

Vaccinations

Overview
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity01:26

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
Vaccines01:21

Vaccines

Vaccines are among the most effective tools in preventive medicine, designed to prepare the immune system to recognize and combat infectious agents. By introducing antigens—substances that the immune system identifies as foreign—vaccines stimulate an adaptive immune response that leads to immunological memory. This immunological memory enables the body to mount a faster and more effective response upon future exposures to the actual pathogen.Vaccines can be categorized based on the type of...