Neoantigen vaccine: an emerging tumor immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Genetic instability in tumors generates mutations, leading to tumor-specific antigens called neoantigens.
• Neoantigens are highly immunogenic, activating T cells for anti-tumor immune responses, making them promising targets for cancer immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the identification, prediction, and therapeutic applications of neoantigens in cancer immunotherapy.
• To discuss various neoantigen vaccine strategies and their combination with other cancer treatments.

Main Methods:

• Whole-exome sequencing to identify mutations.
• Bioinformatics algorithms to predict neoantigen affinity to major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) and immunogenicity.
• Review of clinical trial data on neoantigen vaccines.

Main Results:

• Neoantigens are effectively identified and predicted using bioinformatics and sequencing technologies.
• Clinical trials demonstrate the safety and efficacy of various neoantigen vaccine types, including nucleic acid, dendritic cell (DC)-based, tumor cell, and synthetic long peptide (SLP) vaccines.
• Combination therapies involving neoantigen vaccines with immune checkpoint inhibitors or conventional treatments show potential for enhanced therapeutic effects.

Conclusions:

• Neoantigen vaccines represent a significant advancement in personalized cancer immunotherapy.
• Continued development in sequencing, bioinformatics, and understanding tumor biology will further expand the clinical application of neoantigen vaccines.