Abstract
Patients with cancer are at particular risk for infection but also have diminished vaccine responses, usually quantified by the level of specific antibodies. Nonetheless, vaccines are specifically recommended in this vulnerable patient group. Here, we discuss the cellular part of the vaccine response in patients with cancer. We summarize the experience with vaccines prior to and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in different subgroups, and we discuss why, especially in patients with cancer, T cells may be the more reliable correlate of protection. Finally, we provide a brief outlook on options to improve the cellular response to vaccines.
Highlights
Vaccination is indispensable for infection control as has been demonstrated in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
We will describe what is known about the T cellular response to different types of vaccines in cancer patients, delineate the influence of certain types of cancer and/or the respective treatment, and summarize what is currently known regarding the cellular response of patients with malignancies towards SAR-CoV-2 vaccines
In a study investigating a two-dose regimen of inactivated H1N1 influenza vaccine in adult hematological patients, induction of a significant H1N1 specific T cell response was observed in the subgroup of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) patients [81]
Summary
Vaccination is indispensable for infection control as has been demonstrated in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Patients with malignancies are at particular risk for infection and vaccination is explicitly recommended [1,2], but humoral response to vaccination is often impaired due to disease and treatment. Cellular response, in particular T cellular response, has recently been recognized to be generally more robust than humoral response and possibly even more predictive for protection [3,4]. A literature search on the experience with vaccines prior to and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in patients with cancer was performed. We will describe what is known about the T cellular response to different types of vaccines in cancer patients, delineate the influence of certain types of cancer and/or the respective treatment, and summarize what is currently known regarding the cellular response of patients with malignancies towards SAR-CoV-2 vaccines.
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