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Immunoprevention of Pancreatic Cancer

Chinthalapally V Rao¹, Altaf Mohammed¹, Adam S Asch¹

¹Center for Cancer Prevention and Drug Development, Department of Medicine, Hem-Onc Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.

Current Medicinal Chemistry

|February 28, 2017

Abstract

Background:

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is considered an incurable disease due to late diagnosis, rapid spread and negligible response treatment methods, with a 5-year survival rate of only 7%. Hence, there is an urgency in developing novel strategies for PC prevention. This review is focused on discussing the challenges in understanding complex immune functions in tumor microenvironment and host-induced immune responses against tumors, selection of antigens for development of preventive vaccines, lessons from immunoprevention clinical trials and challenges in developing future vaccines.

Methods:

65 original articles were referenced from various sources, based on immunoprevention or criteria pertaining to tumor antigens and immune responses in PC. All these articles were analyzed for the method details and results obtained, and the existing challenges were derived for successful development of clinical immunoprevention strategies.

Results:

The analysis of these articles and our experience with preclinical efficacy evaluations of various preventive approaches against PC helped in identifying specific tumor antigens as targets which can overcome tumor cell immune suppression. This review discussed the status of primary, secondary and tertiary preventive vaccines and reasons for failure of therapeutic vaccines. The key parameters for effective vaccination were identified, including stage of the disease for vaccination efficacy, use of appropriate animal models for development of preventive vaccines. Potential of chemopreventive agents as adjuvants in immunoprevention was discussed. This review identified new challenges for development of immunopreventive vaccines.

Conclusion:

This review analyzed various aspects of vaccine development for immunoprevention of PC and emphasized the challenges for development of immunoprevention strategies.

Insights

Developing effective pancreatic cancer (PC) immunoprevention strategies faces significant challenges. This review highlights key factors for successful vaccine development and identifies new hurdles in PC prevention.

Area of Science:

Oncology
Immunology
Vaccine Development

Background:

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of 7%, necessitating urgent development of novel prevention strategies.
Understanding complex tumor microenvironment immunity and host responses is crucial for effective PC prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

To review challenges in pancreatic cancer immunoprevention.
To identify key parameters for effective vaccine development against PC.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of 65 original articles on PC immunoprevention, tumor antigens, and immune responses.
Analysis of methods and results to identify existing challenges in clinical immunoprevention strategies.

Main Results:

Identified specific tumor antigens that can overcome immune suppression for PC prevention.
Discussed primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive vaccines, and reasons for therapeutic vaccine failure.
Highlighted critical parameters for effective vaccination, including disease stage and animal models, and the potential of chemopreventive agents as adjuvants.

Conclusions:

Vaccine development for PC immunoprevention requires addressing identified challenges.
Emphasized the need for novel strategies to overcome hurdles in developing effective PC immunoprevention.

Read full analysis

Keywords:

Pancreatic cancer adjuvants biomarkers early detection immunoprevention vaccine.

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