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Strategies and Challenges for Developing Effective Neoantigen-Based Dendritic Cell Vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy: A Literature Review

Document Type : Review

Authors

1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia

2 Vector-borne Diseases Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran

3 Department of Internal Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran

10.22038/rcm.2025.86466.1530

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) are pivotal in the field of cancer immunotherapy due to their unique ability to initiate and modulate robust immune responses. Therefore, they represent a promising strategy for cancer vaccine development. Nonetheless, the efficacy of DC vaccines is hampered by the immunosuppressive microenvironment that is frequently present in tumors, which poses significant challenges to their effectiveness. Recent research has focused on two primary approaches to enhance DC vaccine outcomes. The first strategy involves the synergistic use of DC vaccines along with immune checkpoint inhibitors, traditional chemotherapy, or monospecific/bispecific antibodies to bolster immune activation. The second strategy emphasizes the identification and selection of tumor antigens that are not only specific and immunogenic but also manifest safety and stability characteristics. Among these, personalized neoantigens, specific antigens that arise from the tumor microenvironment, have garnered particular attention in clinical trials and have emerged as ideal candidates for DC vaccine targeting. This literature review comprehensively discusses these challenges and strategically explores the pathways to develop effective and safe neoantigen-based DC vaccines for cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords

References
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Reviews in Clinical Medicine
Volume 12, Issue 2
April 2025
Pages 41-52
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