Cancer anti-angiogenesis vaccines: Is the tumor vasculature antigenically unique?
Angiogenesis is essential for the growth and metastasis of solid tumors. The tumor endothelium exists in a state of chronic activation and proliferation, fueled by the tumor milieu where angiogenic mediators are aberrantly over-expressed. Uncontrolled tumor growth, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance are all driven by the dysregulated and constitutive angiogenesis occurring in the vasculature. Accordingly, great efforts have been dedicated toward identifying molecular signatures of this pathological angiogenesis in order to devise selective tumor endothelium targeting therapies while minimizing potential autoimmunity against physiologically normal endothelium. Vaccination with angiogenic antigens to generate cellular and/or humoral immunity against the tumor endothelium has proven to be a promising strategy for inhibiting or normalizing tumor angiogenesis and reducing cancer growth. Here we review tumor endothelium vaccines developed to date including active immunization strategies using specific tumor endothelium-associated antigens and whole endothelial cell-based vaccines designed to elicit immune responses against diverse target antigens. Among the novel therapeutic options, we describe a placenta-derived endothelial cell vaccine, ValloVax™, a polyvalent vaccine that is antigenically similar to proliferating tumor endothelium and is supported by pre-clinical studies to be safe and efficacious against several tumor types.
Batu Biologics Inc., Towne Center Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA. Samuel.wagner@batubiologics.com.
Samuel C
SC
Wagner
Batu Biologics Inc., Towne Center Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA. thomas.ichim@gmail.com.
Thomas E
TE
Ichim
Batu Biologics Inc., Towne Center Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA. hongma2008@gmail.com.
Hong
H
Ma
Batu Biologics Inc., Towne Center Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA. julszymanski@gmail.com.
Julia
J
Szymanski
Pan Am Cancer Treatment Center, Tijuana, Mexico. jesus.perez.md@gmail.com.
Jesus A
JA
Perez
Pan Am Cancer Treatment Center, Tijuana, Mexico. jjlopezg@ulam.net.
Javier
J
Lopez
Batu Biologics Inc., Towne Center Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA. vladimir.bogin@cromospharma.com.
Vladimir
V
Bogin
Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Amit.Patel@hsc.utah.edu.
Amit N
AN
Patel
Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar. fmarincola@sidra.org.
Francisco M
FM
Marincola
UCSD Moores Cancer Center, San Diego, CA, USA. santoshkesari@gmail.com.
Santosh
S
Kesari
D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
D019496:Cancer Vaccines