Cancer vaccine research shows progress in prevention and treatment

A recent review published in JAMA highlights significant advancements in the development of cancer vaccines for both prevention and treatment. While vaccines have prevented an estimated 154 million deaths from infectious diseases over the last 50 years, applying this principle to cancer has faced clinical challenges for decades.

Researchers from the Therapeutic Clinic at Alexandra Hospital and the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, including Dr. Maria Kaparelou and Professor Thanos Dimopoulos, note that progress in tumor immunology and vaccine technology has provided new opportunities. More than 2,000 tumor antigens have been identified, and there is an increased understanding of the immunological mechanisms required for the immune system to recognize and neutralize cancer cells.

Modern cancer vaccines typically consist of three components: an antigen to serve as the target, an adjuvant to activate the immune response, and a delivery system. Once administered, antigens are processed by innate immune cells, such as dendritic cells, which then present them to T- and B-lymphocytes to trigger acquired immunity.