Tumor immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment prospects for various malignant tumors. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) , as representative of tumor immunotherapy, have achieved tremendous success in clinical practice and have become the first-line clinical treatment options for certain tumors. This article summarizes the progress and challenges of immune checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T therapy in tumor treatment, and discusses the future direction of tumor therapeutic vaccines development. Identifying novel therapeutic targets within the realm of tumor immunology, engineering innovative drug delivery systems, and employing combinatorial therapeutic strategies are poised to enhance therapeutic efficacy and patient outcomes in oncology, thereby extending benefits to a broader patient population.
Humans ; Neoplasms/immunology* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods* ; Animals ; Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use*

Objective To characterize the properties of Hepa1-6-derived microparticles (Hepa1-6-MPs), investigate their stimulatory effects on dendritic cells (DCs) and their cellular uptake pathways, and explore the specific cytotoxic effects of CD8⁺ T cells induced by Hepa1-6-MP-loaded DCs on hepatoma cell lines, with the aim of developing a novel immunotherapeutic model for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The isolated Hepa1-6-MPs were identified using Western blotting, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Flow cytometry was used to assess the uptake pathways of Hepa1-6-MPs by DCs. Subsequently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the effects of Hepa1-6-MP-loaded DCs on the release levels of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) and interferon γ(IFN-γ) into the supernatant of CD8⁺ T cells. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) tests were conducted to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of CD8⁺ T cells stimulated by Hepa1-6-MP-loaded DCs on hepatoma cells. Results The morphology, size and protein markers of Hepa1-6-MPs met the established criteria. Hepa1-6-MPs enhanced the expression of DC maturation markers CD80 and CD86, and were internalized by DCs via clathrin-mediated endocytosis and phagocytosis pathways. Subsequently, Hepa1-6-MP-loaded DCs stimulated CD8⁺ T cells to release high levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ, which induced their specific cytotoxicity against HCC cells. Conclusion These findings suggest that Hepa1-6-MP-loaded DCs may be a promising HCC immunotherapeutic tool.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy* ; Liver Neoplasms/therapy* ; Dendritic Cells/immunology* ; Humans ; Cancer Vaccines/immunology* ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology* ; Interferon-gamma/immunology* ; Cell-Derived Microparticles/immunology* ; Animals

Immunomodulatory cancer therapy is witnessing the rise of viral immunotherapy. The oncolytic influenza A virus, although promising in preclinical investigations, remains to be implemented in clinical practice. Recent progress in genetic engineering, coupled with experiential insights, offers opportunities to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the influenza A virus. This review explores the use of the influenza virus, its attenuated forms, and associated vaccines in cancer immunotherapy, highlighting their respective advantages and challenges. We further elucidate methods for engineering influenza viruses and innovative approaches to augment them with cytokines or immune checkpoint inhibitors, aiming to maximize their clinical impact. Our goal is to provide insights essential for refining influenza A virus-based viral tumor immunotherapies.
Humans ; Neoplasms/immunology* ; Immunotherapy/trends* ; Influenza A virus/immunology* ; Oncolytic Virotherapy/trends* ; Animals ; Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Oncolytic Viruses ; Genetic Engineering ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

Neoantigens exhibit high immunogenic potential and confer a uniqueness to tumor cells, making them ideal targets for personalized cancer immunotherapy. Neoantigens originate from tumor-specific genetic alterations, abnormal viral infections, or other biological mechanisms, including atypical RNA splicing events and post-translational modifications (PTMs). These neoantigens are recognized as foreign by the immune system, eliciting an immune response that largely bypasses conventional mechanisms of central and peripheral tolerance. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS), mass spectrometry (MS), and artificial intelligence (AI) have greatly expedited the rapid detection and forecasting of neoantigens, markedly propelling the development of diverse immunotherapeutic strategies, including cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy, and antibody treatment. In this review, we comprehensively explore the discovery and characterization of neoantigens and their clinical use within promising immunotherapeutic frameworks. Additionally, we address the current landscape of neoantigen research, the intrinsic challenges of the field, and potential pathways for clinical application in cancer treatment.
Humans ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; Precision Medicine/methods* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Antigens, Neoplasm/genetics* ; Cancer Vaccines/immunology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing

Therapeutic cancer vaccines have experienced a resurgence over the past ten years. Cancer vaccines are typically designed to enhance specific stages of the cancer-immunity cycle, primarily by activating the immune system to promote tumor regression and overcome immune resistance. In this review, we summarize the significant recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy based on the cancer-immunity cycle, including the effector cell function, infiltration, initiation, and exhaustion. We summarize the identification of tumor antigens and their delivery through cancer vaccines. We discuss how specific stages of the cancer-immunity cycle have been leveraged to augment anti-tumor immune responses and improve vaccine efficacy. Additionally, the impact of aging and myelosuppression, two prevalent forms of immunological stress, on the effectiveness of therapeutic cancer vaccines is deliberated. Finally, we summarize the current status of various therapeutic cancer vaccines at different clinical trial phases.
Humans ; Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology* ; Animals

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, with conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy often hindered by significant side effects, lack of specificity, and limited efficacy in advanced cases. Among emerging therapeutic strategies, mRNA vaccines have shown remarkable potential due to their adaptability, rapid production, and capability for personalized cancer treatment. This review provides an in-depth analysis of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines as a therapeutic approach for cancer immunotherapy, focusing on their molecular biology, classification, mechanisms, and clinical studies. Derived from reported literature and data on clinicaltrials.gov, it examines studies on mRNA vaccines encoding tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), immunomodulators, and chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) across various cancer types. The review highlights the ability of mRNA vaccines to encode TSAs and TAAs, enabling personalized cancer treatments, and classifies these vaccines into non-replicating and self-amplifying types. It further explores their mechanisms of action, including antigen presentation and immune activation, while emphasizing findings from clinical studies that demonstrate the potential of mRNA vaccines in cancer therapy. Despite their promise, challenges remain in enhancing delivery systems, improving immunogenicity, and addressing tumor heterogeneity. Overcoming these obstacles will require further investigation to fully harness the potential of mRNA vaccines in personalized cancer treatment.
Humans ; Cancer Vaccines/immunology* ; Neoplasms/immunology* ; mRNA Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Antigens, Neoplasm/genetics* ; RNA, Messenger/therapeutic use*

With the development of medical technology, tumor vaccines as a novel precise immunotherapy approach have gradually received attention in clinical applications. Against the backdrop of the global corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, vaccine technology has further advanced. Depending on the types of antigens, tumor vaccines can be divided into whole-cell vaccines, peptide vaccines, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, recombinant virus vaccines, etc. Although some tumor vaccines have been marketed and achieved certain therapeutic effects, the results of tumor vaccines in clinical trials have been unsatisfactory in the past period. With the maturation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and the continuous development of bioinformatics, dynamic monitoring of the entire process of tumor subpopulation development has become a reality, which has laid a solid foundation for personalized, neoantigen-centered therapeutic tumor vaccines. This article reviews the recent developments of tumor vaccines of different types, starts with lung cancer and summarizes the achievements of tumor vaccines in clinical applications, and provides an outlook for the future development of antigen-centered tumor vaccines.
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Humans ; Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Neoplasms/genetics* ; Computational Biology ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Lung

Prostate cancer is currently one of the most common malignancies that endanger the lives and health of elderly men. In recent years, immunotherapy, which exploits the activation of anti-cancer host immune cells to accomplish tumor-killing effects, has emerged as a new study avenue in the treatment of prostate cancer. As an important component of immunotherapy, cancer vaccines have a unique position in the precision treatment of malignant tumors. Monocyte cell vaccines, dendritic cell vaccines, viral vaccines, peptide vaccines, and DNA/mRNA vaccines are the most often used prostate cancer vaccines. Among them, Sipuleucel-T, as a monocyte cell-based cancer vaccine, is the only FDA-approved therapeutic vaccine for prostate cancer, and has a unique position and role in advancing the development of immunotherapy for prostate cancer. However, due to its own limitations, Sipuleucel-T has not been widely adopted. Meanwhile, owing to the complexity of immunotherapy and the specificity of prostate cancer, the remaining prostate cancer vaccines have not shown good clinical benefit in large randomized phase II and phase III trials, and further in-depth studies are still needed.
Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Immunotherapy ; Prostate/pathology* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Tissue Extracts/therapeutic use*

The paradox of increasing health needs and limited health resources prompted a change in the traditional concept of disease prevention and control, and the concept of proactive health has emerged. Proactive health aimed to prevent and control disease and improve the body's immunity by using controlled methods and means to activate the body's self-healing ability and to identify foreign harmful substances as well as damage factors and tumor cells that the body itself may produce while giving full play to individual initiative. With the continuous development of science, people could maintain and improve their immune system from many aspects, which could be roughly divided into nonpharmaceutical interventions and pharmaceutical interventions. Nonpharmacological interventions included changing lifestyles and habits, adjusting the nutritional structure and intake of food, regulating mindsets and emotions, and improving the living and working environment, etc. This review systematically elaborated on the functions and molecular mechanisms of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and emotion in regulating immunity, to provide some scientific evidence and theoretical support for proactive health.
Humans ; Cancer Vaccines ; Immunotherapy ; Life Style ; Nutritional Status ; Healthy Lifestyle

Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Papillomavirus Infections/prevention & control* ; Papillomavirus Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/prevention & control* ; Vaccination