title: Improved peptide vaccine strategies, creating synthetic artificial infections to maximize immune efficacy.
abstract: Soon after it was realized that T-cells recognize their target antigens as small protein fragments or peptides presented by MHC molecules at the cell surface, these peptide epitopes have been tried as vaccines. Human testing of such vaccines, although protective in mouse models, has produced mixed results. Since these initial trials, there has been an tremendous increase in our understanding of how infectious organisms can induce potent immune responses. In this article we review the key changes in the design, formulation and delivery of synthetic peptide vaccines that are applied to improve peptide vaccine strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands. S.H.van_der_Burg@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Sjoerd H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: van der Burg
authors.forename: Martijn S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bijker
authors.forename: Marij J P
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Welters
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Offringa
authors.forename: Cornelis J M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Melief
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D010455:Peptides; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic