Therapeutic cancer vaccine: building the future from lessons of the past

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Oncology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Anti-cancer vaccines have historically shown limited clinical success, particularly in high tumor burden settings.
• The efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies (20-30% response) correlates with pre-existing anti-tumor T cell infiltration.
• A significant proportion of cancers (70%) lack an anti-tumor immune response within the tumor microenvironment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore novel strategies for enhancing anti-cancer vaccine efficacy within the field of cancer immunotherapy.
• To evaluate therapeutic combinations and novel targets for inducing anti-tumor immunity.
• To reposition anti-cancer vaccines as a viable therapeutic approach by incorporating new scientific insights.

Main Methods:

• Investigating therapeutic combinations of anti-cancer vaccines with immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD-1/PD-L1).
• Identifying and targeting cancer-specific neoepitopes to elicit a stronger immune response.
• Assessing the role of memory resident T cells induced by vaccines in long-term immunosurveillance.

Main Results:

• Emerging clinical data suggests that vaccines incorporating neoepitopes are generating renewed enthusiasm.
• Therapeutic combinations involving vaccines and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 are under active clinical evaluation.
• The induction of memory resident T cells by vaccines is recognized as a critical factor for effective immunosurveillance.

Conclusions:

• Anti-cancer vaccines are being repositioned as a promising immunotherapy strategy through novel concepts and combinations.
• Targeting neoepitopes and leveraging immune checkpoint inhibitors are key to overcoming current limitations.
• Future therapeutic vaccine design must consider the induction of durable anti-tumor immunity, including memory resident T cells.