Cancer Vaccines: What’s Hot in 2023

Personalized cancer vaccines – a new reality

At the end of 2022 we saw reports on positive data from studies on personalized cancer vaccines used in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor targeting melanoma. This is one of a number of new classes of therapeutic cancer vaccines that train the immune system to identify and attack tumor cells once patients have been diagnosed with a specific cancer; they have the potential to target a wide range of solid tumors, including, breast, lung, colon and brain tumors.

Whilst some companies are developing generic vaccines for specific tumor types, others are developing individualized vaccines targeting newly emerged antigens (neoantigens) on the patient’s tumor identified through gene sequencing, making them truly personalized products.

The vaccines are building on the latest vaccinology technologies using mRNA, plasmid DNA and CAR-T platforms, allowing for rapid production. Going forward, look for the benefits of combining high throughput gene sequencing, immunotherapy and vaccine technologies to offer safe and effective treatments for cancer.

- Tony Hitchcock, Technical Director, Charles River Labs, Keele, UK