Enhancing cellular cancer vaccines.
Various strategies have been used to generate cellular cancer vaccines with the expectation that they will become an effective part of the overall management of cancer patients. However, with few notable exceptions, immunization has not resulted in significant long-term therapeutic benefits. Tumor growth has continued and patient survival has been at best only modestly prolonged. One possible explanation is that as only a small proportion of the constituents of malignant cells are "tumor specific" and the vast majority are the products of nonantigenic, normal "housekeeping" genes, the immune response in patients immunized with cellular cancer vaccines is not sufficient to result in tumor rejection. Here, we review and characterize various types of cellular cancer vaccines. In addition, in a mouse breast cancer model system, we describe a unique strategy designed to enrich cellular vaccines for cells that induce tumor immunity. Numerous advantages and disadvantages of cancer immunotherapy with cellular vaccines are also presented.
Cohen
Edward P
EP
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, 835 South Wolcott Ave., Chicago, IL 60612, USA. epcohen@uic.edu
Chopra
Amla
A
O-Sullivan
InSug
I
Kim
Tae Sung
TS
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D015698:Genomic Library; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D019444:Vaccines, DNA
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA