Chapter 9 - Peptide-based vaccines

Abstract

There is a diverse array of therapeutic cancer vaccines currently undergoing clinical development, each of which aims to generate tumor-specific immunity capable of controlling the growth of carcinoma cells. This chapter focuses primarily on synthetic peptide-based vaccines and potential strategies to enhance their clinical efficacy. We will discuss different types of vaccine targets, short peptide vaccines versus synthetic long peptide vaccines, formulations of peptide-based vaccines, and combinations of peptide-based vaccines with other immune-based therapies. Using examples of ongoing studies within our cancer immunotherapy program at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA, we highlight the benefit of combining multiple, rationally selected immune-oncology agents in the development of effective immunotherapies. Combining vaccines with therapeutic agents specifically targeting multiple mechanisms by which tumors can evade the immune system is essential in the development of the next generation of immunotherapies.