Melanoma-associated antigen-A3 vaccination in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Lung cancer is a common health problem with a bad prognosis, despite recent advances in its treatment. Antigen-specific immunotherapy implies the administration of tumor-specific antigens with an immunostimulant to induce a powerful antitumor immune response, which has shown to be capable of eliminating tumor cells. Melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) A3 is a good antigen to use in antigen-specific immunotherapy, since it is aberrantly expressed in cancer cells, but not expressed in normal tissue, except in germline and placental cells.


METHODS
Trials have been performed with the MAGE-A3 vaccine in the adjuvant setting after resection of non-small-cell lung cancer. They have shown that the MAGE-A3 vaccine is safe and well tolerated, with promising signs of clinical benefit, especially in patients expressing a specific gene signature. Outcome data are currently expected of a large Phase III randomized controlled trial in the same setting.


CONCLUSIONS
The future is hopeful for antigen-specific immunotherapy in general and MAGE-A3 vaccine in specific. Further research needs to identify new tumor-specific antigens, more potent adjuvants and genetic profiles suggestive of a better response toward antigen-specific immunotherapy. The MAGE-A3 vaccine has to be investigated in other settings than the adjuvant one and in other tumor types expressing MAGE-A3.
University Hospital KU Leuven, Department of Pulmonology, Respiratory Oncology Unit, Leuven Lung Cancer Group , Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven , Belgium +32 16 346801 ; +32 16 346803 ; johan.vansteenkiste@uzleuven.be.
Valerie
V
Adam
Isabelle
I
Wauters
Johan
J
Vansteenkiste
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; C072013:MAGEA3 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit