Clinical and Immunological Effects of p53-Targeting Vaccines
Shan Zhou1, Chunmei Fan1,2, Zhaoyang Zeng2
1Section of Epidemiology and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.
Abstract:
Immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint blockade and chimeric antigen receptor T cells, is one of the most promising approaches to treat cancer. Vaccines have been effective in preventing cancers like liver cancer and cervical cancer with a viral etiology. Instead of preventing disease, therapeutic cancer vaccines mobilize the immune system to attack existing cancer. p53 is dysregulated in the majority of human cancers and is a highly promising target for cancer vaccines. Over twenty clinical trials have targeted p53 in malignant diseases using vaccines. In this work, we review the progress of vaccinations with p53 or its peptides as the antigens and summarize the clinical and immunological effects of p53-targeting vaccines from clinical trials. The delivery platforms include p53 peptides, viral vectors, and dendritic cells pulsed with short peptides or transduced by p53-encoding viruses. These studies shed light on the feasibility, safety, and clinical benefit of p53 vaccination in select groups of patients, implicating that p53-targeting vaccines warrant further investigations in experimental animals and human studies.
Insights
Therapeutic cancer vaccines targeting p53, a protein often altered in cancer, show promise. Clinical trials indicate p53 vaccines are feasible and safe, warranting further research for cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint blockade and CAR T-cells, is a leading treatment modality.
- Therapeutic cancer vaccines aim to stimulate an immune response against existing tumors.
- The p53 tumor suppressor protein is frequently dysregulated in human cancers, making it a prime target for vaccination strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the progress of p53-based cancer vaccinations.
- To summarize clinical and immunological outcomes from p53-targeting vaccine trials.
- To assess the feasibility, safety, and potential clinical benefits of p53 vaccines.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical trials involving p53 or its peptides as antigens for cancer vaccines.
- Analysis of various delivery platforms, including peptide, viral vector, and dendritic cell-based vaccines.
- Evaluation of reported clinical efficacy and immune responses.
Main Results:
- Over twenty clinical trials have investigated p53-targeting vaccines for various malignancies.
- p53 vaccines have been delivered via peptides, viral vectors, and dendritic cells.
- Studies suggest feasibility, safety, and potential clinical benefits in specific patient cohorts.
Conclusions:
- p53-targeting vaccines represent a promising avenue in cancer immunotherapy.
- The safety and feasibility of p53 vaccination have been demonstrated in clinical settings.
- Further preclinical and clinical investigations are warranted to optimize p53-based vaccine strategies for cancer treatment.
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