The current status of human cancer vaccines

Abstract

First generation cancer vaccines are being tested for clinical efficacy in the management of metastatic melanoma, colon cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Expectations are that more patients will respond to this mode of therapy, and that responders will show longer periods of clinical remission if the potency of these various vaccines can be enhanced. This is being achieved by reformulating these vaccines to immunise the patient optimally for a cytotoxic T-cell and/or antibody response to the tumour-associated antigens. The prevailing strategy for improving the T-cell based vaccines has been to optimise tumour antigen presentation by the HLA molecules. Many of the vaccines designed primarily to elicit an antibody response are immunising against poorly immunogenic carbohydrate antigens. Therefore, increasing their potency through the use of various adjuvants and carrier molecules is being explored. This paper will report on nine therapeutic cancer vaccines currently in clinical trial for melanoma, colon cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.