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Cancer Vaccine – Types, Mechanism & Research

A cancer vaccine is an immunological preparation that activates the immune system to target and fight cancer cells. It can be used for prevention or treatment of cancer.

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Things worth knowing about "Cancer vaccine"

A cancer vaccine is an immunological preparation that activates the immune system to target and fight cancer cells. It can be used for prevention or treatment of cancer.

What is a Cancer Vaccine?

A cancer vaccine (also called a tumor vaccine or oncovaccine) is a biological preparation designed to train the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. Unlike conventional vaccines against infectious diseases, cancer vaccines do not target viruses or bacteria but instead focus on abnormal body cells that grow uncontrollably.

There are two main types: preventive cancer vaccines, which aim to stop cancer from developing in the first place, and therapeutic cancer vaccines, which are used to treat existing tumors in patients who are already ill.

Types of Cancer Vaccines

Preventive Cancer Vaccines

These vaccines protect against cancers caused by viral infections. Well-known examples include:

HPV vaccine: Protects against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical, anal, throat, and other cancers.
Hepatitis B vaccine: Prevents chronic hepatitis B infection, which can lead to liver cancer.

Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines

These vaccines are administered to patients who already have cancer, with the goal of stimulating the immune system to fight the tumor. Several technologies are used:

Dendritic cell vaccines: The patient's own immune cells are loaded with tumor antigens in the laboratory and then reinjected. Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) for prostate cancer is a well-known approved example.
Peptide vaccines: Short protein fragments (peptides) from tumor cells are injected to trigger an immune response.
mRNA cancer vaccines: Based on the mRNA technology made widely known by COVID-19 vaccines, personalized vaccines are being developed that target the specific mutations of an individual tumor.
Vector-based vaccines: Viruses are used as carriers to introduce tumor antigens into the body.

Mechanism of Action

Cancer cells carry specific features on their surface known as tumor antigens, which distinguish them from healthy cells. A cancer vaccine presents these antigens to the immune system, prompting the formation of T-lymphocytes (T-cells) and antibodies that specifically recognize and attack tumor cells. This process can also establish an immunological memory that responds rapidly if cancer cells reappear.

Areas of Application

Cancer vaccines are approved or under investigation for the following conditions:

Prostate cancer
Melanoma (skin cancer)
Lung cancer
Cervical cancer (preventive, via HPV vaccination)
Pancreatic cancer (in clinical trials)
Various forms of leukemia

Current State of Research

The development of cancer vaccines is a highly active area of research. Personalized cancer vaccines, tailored to the specific genetic alterations of an individual patient's tumor, are showing promising results in early-phase clinical trials. Companies such as BioNTech and Moderna are developing mRNA-based personalized cancer vaccines, often in combination with checkpoint inhibitors (a form of immunotherapy).

Some vaccines are still in clinical trial phases (Phase I to III), while others – such as sipuleucel-T – have already received regulatory approval.

Side Effects and Safety

Cancer vaccines are generally well tolerated. Possible side effects include:

Redness, swelling, or pain at the injection site
Short-term fatigue or tiredness
Mild fever or flu-like symptoms
In rare cases, autoimmune reactions, where the immune system attacks healthy tissue

The safety and efficacy of each vaccine are thoroughly evaluated in extensive clinical trials before regulatory approval is granted.

References

World Health Organization (WHO): Cancer vaccines. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer (2024)
National Cancer Institute (NCI): Cancer Vaccines. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy/cancer-treatment-vaccines (2024)
Sahin U, Türeci Ö. Personalized vaccines for cancer immunotherapy. Science. 2018;359(6382):1355-1360. doi:10.1126/science.aar7112

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