Chemotherapy: friend or foe to cancer vaccines?
Cancer vaccines are on the threshold of taking their place alongside the more traditional cancer treatment modalities of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The toxicology and immunopharmacology of therapeutic cancer vaccines, particularly those that secrete granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), are currently under active clinical investigation. Interestingly, drugs traditionally used for tumor cytoreduction can have both positive and negative effects on host immunity. Exploration of the potential pharmacodynamic interactions of antineoplastic drugs with GM-CSF-secreting vaccines has revealed that low doses of some chemotherapeutics can augment the antitumor immunity induced by GM-CSF-secreting vaccines. These interactions will require thorough preclinical evaluation to maximize the clinical impact of this type of therapeutic cancer vaccine.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. ejaffee@jhmi.edu
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Emens
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Machiels
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Reilly
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Jaffee
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D004317:Doxorubicin; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D017239:Paclitaxel