Therapeutic cancer vaccines: challenges and perspectives

For over a decade, immunotherapy has been transforming cancer treatment and prognosis. Tumor therapeutic vaccines trigger new immune responses and enhance existing immunity to more effectively combat cancer. These vaccines aim to curb the established disease or prevent recurrence, unlike conventional preventive vaccines. There are four categories of therapeutic vaccines: cellular, viral/bacterial, peptide, and nucleic acid, each with its own benefits and challenges. Advances in the understanding of anti-tumor immunity and advanced technologies such as mRNA vaccines support the development of this new treatment option. Currently in clinical trials, they could lead to promising and personalised anti-cancer therapies.