Immunotherapeutic Strategies to Target Prognostic and Predictive Markers of Cancer

Abstract

Throughout the last century medical advances in cancer treatment in the fields of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy have greatly impacted patients‘ survival rates. Nevertheless, cancer remains a significant cause of mortality, with an estimated 7.6 million deaths worldwide in 2008, reflecting the inability of existing therapies to effectively cure disease. The emergence of vaccines and their successes in preventing the spread of infectious diseases has demonstrated the unique specificity and therapeutic potential of the immune system. This potential has driven the development of novel cancer immunotherapeutics. This review focuses on the current status of the use of immunologic effectors to target known biomarkers in cancer.

KEYWORDS::

• adoptive cell therapy
• antibody conjugate
• cancer vaccine
• checkpoint inhibitor
• chimeric antigen receptor
• dendritic cell vaccine
• immunotoxin
• monoclonal antibody
• tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

Disclaimer

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. Similarly, the Pennsylvania Department of Health specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations or conclusions. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

These studies were supported by grants from the NIH (CA170533, CA146033), the Pennsylvania Department of Health (SAP #4100059197, SAP #4100051723) and Targeted Diagnostic & Therapeutics, Inc. MS Magee was the recipient of a Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award from NIH (F31CA171672). SA Waldman is the Samuel MV Hamilton Professor of Thomas Jefferson University. 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.

Additional information

Funding

These studies were supported by grants from the NIH (CA170533, CA146033), the Pennsylvania Department of Health (SAP #4100059197, SAP #4100051723) and Targeted Diagnostic & Therapeutics, Inc. MS Magee was the recipient of a Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award from NIH (F31CA171672). SA Waldman is the Samuel MV Hamilton Professor of Thomas Jefferson University. 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.