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Updated: Oct 6, 2025
A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
Published on: March 6, 2018
Prostate cancer immunotherapy
Iraklis Mitsogiannis1, Lazaros Tzelves1, Athanasios Dellis1,2
12nd Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Sismanoglio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Introduction:
Medical treatment for prostate cancer (PC) targets hormonal pathways used by malignant cells. Research advances aided in gaining knowledge about implicated molecular pathways and opened the way for establishment of new types of therapies by modifying immunological mechanisms. The aim of this review is to present completed and ongoing research projects regarding PC immunotherapy.
Areas Covered:
A literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ from inception until 07/2021, to identify completed or ongoing Phase III trials regarding several immunotherapies against PC. Studies on vaccine therapies, CTLA-4 inhibitors, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, PSMA-targeted therapies, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors were considered eligible.
Expert Opinion:
Although many molecules are being tested against PC cells, only sipuleucel-T has gain approval in the USA. The main reason for this delay in establishing immunotherapy as a standard option for managing PC is the heterogeneity and tumor immune microenvironment complexities. Ipilimumab and olaparib were proved to prolong overall survival significantly against placebo, but a lot of research is going on to identify which patients and at what stage of disease will benefit the most before incorporating them in clinical practice. More recent options such as PSMA-targeted treatments are currently evaluated.
Article Highlights:
Intense research performed on immunotherapy for prostate cancer.Vaccine therapy with sipuleucel-T, the only approved immunotherapy for prostate cancer.Ipilimumab shows survival benefits.Olaparib shows survival benefits.Findings should be confirmed on further trials to identify target population characteristics and proper disease stage.Immunotherapy is not yet a standard due to tumor environment complex interaction between immune system and malignant cells.
Insights
Prostate cancer immunotherapy research is advancing, with sipuleucel-T approved. Further trials are needed to determine optimal patient selection and disease stages for emerging treatments like ipilimumab and olaparib.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Medical Research
Background:
- Prostate cancer (PC) treatments historically target hormonal pathways.
- Advances in understanding molecular pathways have paved the way for immunotherapies.
- Modifying immunological mechanisms offers new therapeutic avenues for PC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review completed and ongoing research on prostate cancer immunotherapy.
- To identify eligible Phase III trials for various immunotherapies against PC.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a literature search across major databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane) and clinicaltrials.gov.
- Included studies on vaccine therapies, CTLA-4 inhibitors, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, PSMA-targeted therapies, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
- Focused on completed or ongoing Phase III trials up to 07/2021.
Main Results:
- Sipuleucel-T is the only FDA-approved immunotherapy for prostate cancer.
- Ipilimumab and olaparib have demonstrated significant overall survival benefits compared to placebo.
- Ongoing research aims to identify specific patient populations and disease stages that benefit most from these therapies.
Conclusions:
- Prostate cancer immunotherapy faces challenges due to tumor heterogeneity and complex immune microenvironments.
- Further clinical trials are crucial to define the optimal use of emerging immunotherapies.
- PSMA-targeted treatments represent a promising area of current evaluation.
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