title: Strategies in cancer vaccines development.
abstract: The recent definition of tumour-specific immunity in cancer patients and the identification of tumour-associated antigens have generated renewed enthusiasm for the application of immune-based therapies for the treatment of malignancies. Recent developments in cancer vaccines have also been based on an improved understanding of the cellular interactions required to induce a specific anti-tumour immune response. Consequently, a number of cancer vaccines have entered clinical trials. Targeting broad-spectrum tumour-associated antigens has emerged as a strategy to lower the risk of tumour escape due to the loss of specific nominal antigen. Amongst the most challenging of tumour-associated antigens to which to target in active specific immunotherapy applications are carbohydrate antigens. As carbohydrates are intrinsically T-cell-independent antigens, more novel approaches are perhaps needed to drive specific-T-cell-dependent immune responses to carbohydrate antigens. In this context peptide mimetics of core structures of tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens might be developed to augment immune responses to these broad-spectrum antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cunto-Amesty
authors.forename: Behjatolah
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Monzavi-Karbassi
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jousheghany
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kieber-Emmons
mesh_terms: D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000276:immunology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active / Q000379:methods*; D037102:Lectins / Q000276:immunology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D002241:Carbohydrates; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D037102:Lectins; D010455:Peptides