Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025

Experimental Melanoma Immunotherapy Model Using Tumor Vaccination with a Hematopoietic Cytokine
Published on: February 24, 2023
Cancer vaccines: from an immunology perspective
Shania Makker1,2, Charlotte Galley1, Clare L Bennett1
1Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK.
None:
The concept of a therapeutic cancer vaccine to activate anti-tumour immunity pre-dates innovations in checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. However, vaccination strategies have yet to show the hoped-for successes in patients, and unanswered questions regarding the underlying immunological mechanisms behind cancer vaccines have hampered translation to clinical practice. Recent advances in our understanding of the potential of tumour mutational burden and neo-antigen-reactive T cells for response to immunotherapy have re-ignited enthusiasm for cancer vaccination strategies, coupled with the development of novel mRNA-based vaccines following successes in prevention of COVID-19. Here we summarise current developments in cancer vaccines and discuss how advances in our comprehension of the cellular interplay in immunotherapy-responsive tumours may inform better design of therapeutic cancer vaccines, with a focus on the role of dendritic cells as the orchestrators of anti-tumour immunity. The increasing number of clinical trials and research being funnelled into cancer vaccines has demonstrated the 'proof-of-principle', supporting the hypothesis that therapeutic vaccines have potential as an immuno-oncology agent. For efficacious and safe cancer vaccines to be developed, better understanding of the underpinning immunological mechanisms is paramount.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Vaccines
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...
Tumor Immunotherapy
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Vaccinations
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Cancer Prevention
Some...

