Affiliation:
1. Department of Thoracic Surgery Peking University People's Hospital Beijing China
2. Thoracic Oncology Institute Peking University People's Hospital Thoracic Oncology Institute & Research Unit of Intelligence Diagnosis and Treatment in Early Non‐small Cell Lung Cancer Beijing China
3. Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine Peking University Beijing China
Abstract
AbstractCurrently, conventional immunotherapies for the treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have low response rates and benefit only a minority of patients, particularly those with advanced disease, so novel therapeutic strategies are urgent deeded. Therapeutic cancer vaccines, a form of active immunotherapy, harness potential to activate the adaptive immune system against tumor cells via antigen cross‐presentation. Cancer vaccines can establish enduring immune memory and guard against recurrences. Vaccine‐induced tumor cell death prompts antigen epitope spreading, activating functional T cells and thereby sustaining a cancer‐immunity cycle. The success of vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has rendered cancer vaccines a promising avenue, especially when combined with immunotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for NSCLC. This review delves into the intricate antitumor immune mechanisms underlying therapeutic cancer vaccines, enumerates the tumor antigen spectrum of NSCLC, discusses different cancer vaccines progress and summarizes relevant clinical trials. Additionally, we analyze the combination strategies, current limitations, and future prospects of cancer vaccines in NSCLC treatment, aiming to offer fresh insights for their clinical application in managing NSCLC. Overall, cancer vaccines offer promising potential for NSCLC treatment, particularly combining with chemoradiotherapy or immunotherapy could further improve survival in advanced patients. Exploring inhaled vaccines or prophylactic vaccines represents a crucial research avenue.
Funder
Beijing Nova Program
National Key Research and Development Program of China
National Natural Science Foundation of China