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Cancer Immunogenomics: Computational Neoantigen Identification and Vaccine Design
Jasreet Hundal1, Christopher A Miller1,2, Malachi Griffith1,2
1McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108.
Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology
|April 9, 2017
Summary
Modern genomics reveals complex cancer alterations. Immunogenomics analyzes these changes to develop personalized cancer vaccines, targeting cancer cells for immune response.
Area of Science:
- Genomics and Computational Biology
- Cancer Research and Immunology
Background:
- High-throughput genomics has uncovered complex genomic alterations in cancer development.
- Computational analyses are increasingly used to interpret genomic data for therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and outline the emerging field of immunogenomics.
- To explain how immunogenomics can identify cancer-specific alterations for targeted immune responses.
- To highlight the potential of personalized vaccines in cancer therapy.
Main Methods:
- Applying high-throughput genomics to study cancer genomes.
- Utilizing computational analyses for multiplex evaluation of genomic data.
- Interpreting protein-altering changes in cancer cells using predicted peptide binding to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II proteins.
Main Results:
- Identification of complex combinations of genomic alterations driving cancer.
- Development of immunogenomics to link genomic alterations to immune recognition.
- Potential to identify cancer-specific alterations that can elicit a targeted immune response.
Conclusions:
- Immunogenomics offers a novel approach to interpret cancer-specific genomic alterations.
- This field holds promise for developing personalized cancer vaccines.
- Immunogenomics represents an emerging therapeutic option for cancer patients.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer
Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
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 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...
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...

