title: Neoantigens in immunotherapy and personalized vaccines: Implications for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: The recent success of immunotherapies has demonstrated the potency of tumor-specific immune cells in mediating tumor rejection and generating durable tumor immunity. Our understanding of the scientific basis of these responses results from the confluence of a better comprehension of the cancer immunoediting process and the revolution in next generation sequencing of cancer genomes. Recent evidence suggests that T cell specificity for cancer cell expressed mutant proteins - termed neoantigens - is an important component of immune mediated tumor rejection. Improved neoantigen prediction algorithms have made it possible to predict and monitor immune responses to checkpoint inhibitors and adoptively transferred autologous lymphocytes and have enabled the development of tumor-specific therapeutic vaccines. Herein, we review the current research on cancer neoantigens in immunotherapies and its implications for the future of head and neck cancer management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zolkind
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States; Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.
authors.forename: Gavin P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.
authors.forename: Tianxiang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: McDonnell Genome Institute and Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.
authors.forename: Malachi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.
authors.forename: Obi L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States; Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States. Electronic address: ruppaluri@partners.org.
authors.forename: Ravindra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uppaluri
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D057285:Precision Medicine; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines
keywords: Immunogenomics; Neoepitope; Next generation sequencing