title: Tumor Vaccines for Malignant Gliomas.
abstract: Despite continued research efforts, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains the deadliest brain tumor. Immunotherapy offers a novel way to treat this disease, the genetic signature of which is not completely elucidated. Additionally, these tumors are known to induce immunosuppression in the surrounding tumor microenvironment via an array of mechanisms, making effective treatment all the more difficult. The immunotherapeutic strategy of using tumor vaccines offers a way to harness the activity of the host immune system to potentially control tumor progression. GBM vaccines can react to a variety of tumor-specific antigens, which can be harvested from the patient's unique pathological condition using selected immunotherapy techniques. This article reviews the rationale behind and development of GBM vaccines, the relevant clinical trials, and the challenges involved in this treatment strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Visish M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. sdferguson@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Sherise D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sungho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Shiao-Pei
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Weathers
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Brittany C Parker
authors.initials: BCP
authors.lastname: Kerrigan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Amy B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Heimberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005910:Glioma / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines
keywords: Dendritic cells; Glioblastoma; Glioma; Rindopepimut; Tumor vaccine