Turning genes into cancer vaccines

Extract: The current rapid expansion of knowledge in the field of genetics is opening up many opportunities for clinical medicine. Cancer vaccines, in particular, have been a distant goal for many years. Scientists had noted early on that the immune system appeared to suppress cancer growth, an observation that inspired investigators to develop and test vaccination as a treatment for cancer. The failure of these relatively uncharacterized vaccines was perhaps inevitable, but this has not dampened enthusiasm for further attempts. In recent years, vaccine designs have built upon advancements in genetic technology, which has provided new means of vaccine delivery, revealed potential target molecules on tumor cells, and has delineated the fundamental immunological principles of vaccine design. At last, performance of these vaccines in test models and in patients can be measured objectively, allowing for the assessment of specific immune responses. These assessments serve as an interim to the long term goal of clinical efficacy.