Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-based cancer vaccines: recent patents and antitumor effects from experimental models to clinical trials.
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a glycosylated protein of MW 180 kDa, is overexpressed in a wide range of human carcinomas, including colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, non-small cell lung and breast carcinomas. Accordingly, CEA is one of several oncofetal antigens that may serve as a target for active anti-cancer specific immunotherapy. Experimental results obtained by employing animal models have supported the design of clinical trials using a CEA-based vaccine for the treatment of different types of human cancers. This review reports findings from experimental models and clinical evidence on the use of a CEA-based vaccine for the treatment of cancer patients. Among the diverse CEA-based cancer vaccines, DCs- and recombinant viruses-based vaccines seem the most valid. However, although vaccination was shown to induce a strong immune response to CEA, resulting in a delay in tumor progression and prolonged survival in some cancer patients, it failed to eradicate the tumor in most cases, owing partly to the negative effect exerted by the tumor microenvironment on immune response. Thus, in order to develop more efficient and effective cancer vaccines, it is necessary to design new clinical trials combining cancer vaccines with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and drugs which target those factors responsible for immunosuppression of immune cells. This review also discusses relevant patents relating to the use of CEA as a cancer vaccine.
Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Mario
M
Turriziani
Massimo
M
Fantini
Monica
M
Benvenuto
Valerio
V
Izzi
Laura
L
Masuelli
Pamela
P
Sacchetti
Andrea
A
Modesti
Roberto
R
Bei
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods; D023421:Models, Animal; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D010330:Patents as Topic
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen