Towards a therapeutic breast cancer vaccine: the next steps.
The genomic revolution has advanced our understanding of breast cancer biology and the molecular basis of antitumor immunity. Trastuzumab, the first monoclonal antibody for breast cancer, is now a routine part of clinical care. Breast cancer vaccines may be more effective by actively recruiting both humoral and cellular immunity to the therapeutic effort. However, immunization alone is unlikely to have significant activity against established breast cancers, where it is limited by potent mechanisms of immune tolerance and the immunobiology of breast cancer itself. The next generation of clinical studies should integrate breast cancer vaccines with standard breast cancer drugs or novel immunotherapeutics in strategic doses and schedules that abrogate immune tolerance and groom the tumor microenvironment for a productive immune response.
Emens
Leisha A
LA
Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Bunting-Blaustein Cancer Research Building, 1650 Orleans Street, Room 4M90, Baltimore, MD 21231-1000, USA. emensle@jhmi.edu
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000639:trends*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D000068878:Trastuzumab
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D017239:Paclitaxel