Recent Advances in Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, T Cells and Vaccines

Abstract

The results of genomic and molecular profiling of cancer patients can be effectively applied to immunotherapy agents, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, to select the most appropriate treatment. In addition, accurate prediction of neoantigens facilitates the development of individualized cancer vaccines and T-cell therapy. This review summarizes the biomarker(s) predicting responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors and focuses on current strategies to identify and isolate neoantigen-reactive T cells as well as the clinical development of neoantigen-based therapeutics. The results suggest that maximal T-cell stimulation and expansion can be achieved with combination therapies that enhance antigen-presenting cells’ function and optimal T-cell priming in lymph nodes.

Keywords::

• cancer vaccines
• immune checkpoint inhibitors
• neoantigen
• personalized medicine
• T-cell therapy

Financial disclosure

This study was supported and funded by the Deputy of Research and Technology, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, IR.ARUMS.REC.1401.250. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Conflict of interests disclosure

The author has no competing interests or relevant affiliations with any organization or entity with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Writing disclosure

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported and funded by the Deputy of Research and Technology, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, IR.ARUMS.REC.1401.250. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.