The use of cancer vaccines for the potential treatment of human malignancies has reached several new milestones in scientific discovery. Areas of intense investigations include the development and characterization of (1) tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) or tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) selectively expressed or overexpressed by malignant cells as compared with normal adult tissues; (2) novel vaccine delivery systems for the induction of endogenous host antitumor immune responses; (3) cytokines and other immunostimulants to further augment immunogenic properties of vaccine preparations; and (4) adoptive immunotherapy approaches employing dendritic cells (DCs) expressing relevant tumor-rejection antigens or effector cells, which activate or mediate antitumor responses, respectively. The combination of gene discovery with each of those areas has accelerated the rate of both basic mechanistic findings and potential clinical applications. For example, (1) gene discovery has led to the identification of new tumor antigens and will undoubtedly also spur the detection of new cytokines, chemokines and T-cell costimulatory molecules; and (2) knowledge of T-cell activation and tumor-host interactions will improve our understanding of how to better use immunotherapies. At the preclinical stage, the construction and analysis of transgenic mouse models, which better mirror the human cancer situation, may not only strengthen our understanding of the neoplastic process, but also help guide the application of both active and passive immunotherapy strategies in the clinic.

Contents

• Targets for Vaccine Therapy
• Issues in Cancer Vaccine Development
• Problem Areas in Immunotherapy
• Types of Vaccines
• Diversified Prime and Boost Immunization Strategies
• Immunostimulants/Cytokines
• T-Cell Costimulation
• Adoptive Transfer
• Vaccine Clinical Trials
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• References