Cancer vaccines targeting carcinoembryonic antigen: state-of-the-art and future promise

Abstract

Concurrent with the US FDA’s approval of the first therapeutic cancer vaccine, and supported by mounting clinical evidence indicating that targeting carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) can safely overcome pre-existing tolerance, a multitude of novel CEA cancer vaccines are now in various stages of development. Since cancer-driven immune suppression often limits the efficacy of vaccines, numerous strategies are being examined in both preclinical and clinical settings to overcome immunosuppressive elements, including the combined use of vaccines with certain chemotherapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, small-molecule targeted therapies and radiation. This review discusses the current state and future direction of therapeutic cancer vaccines targeting CEA, based on advances achieved over the last 5 years.

Keywords::

• carcinoembryonic antigen
• clinical trials
• immunotherapy
• preclinical studies
• vaccine

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jeffrey Schlom for his helpful suggestions, and Bonnie L Casey for editorial assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

ML Jammeh is an awardee of the NIH Undergraduate Scholar Program. This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH. 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.