Peptide-based vaccines for cancer: realizing their potential

Abstract

Advances in the engineering of peptides, adjuvants and delivery systems have renewed the enthusiasm for peptide-based vaccination regimens in the setting of cancer, and there are a variety of clinical trials being conducted by pharmaceutical companies based on the use of peptides. The challenges to successful cancer immunotherapy are common to all immunotherapeutic strategies and not unique to peptide-based vaccination regimens. This review will describe the advances in the identification, design and delivery of peptides, the challenges to successful immunotherapy and will discuss potential options for the future.

Keywords::

• adjuvant
• combinatorial therapy
• early vaccination
• immunotherapy
• peptide vaccine

Financial & competing interests disclosure

WM Kast holds the Walter A Richter Cancer Research Chair. S Kanodia holds the John H Richardson and Margaret Kersten Ponty Fellowship of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.