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Vaccines
Special Issues
Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy: Latest Advances, Limitations and Prospects
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Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy: Latest Advances, Limitations and Prospects

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 5808

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Eyad Elkord

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Suzhou Municipal Key Lab in Biomedical Sciences and Translational Immunology, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 111 Ren’ai Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, China
2. Biomedical Research Center, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, UK
3. College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Interests: immunology; cancer immunotherapy; tumor immunology; T regulatory cells
Dr. Afsheen Raza

E-Mail
Guest Editor
College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Interests: predictive/prognostic tumor biomarkers; tumor-host immune interactions to immunotherapeutic strategies; immune-monitoring tools of novel immune-modulators and cancer antigen-specific immune cells; translational and precision medicine tools such as liquid biopsy as biomarkers of response; immune checkpoint inhibitors and immune modulatory vaccines as therapeutic targets; lung cancer, gastric cancer, head and neck cancers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to participate in this Special Issue dedicated to the latest advancements and future prospects in cancer vaccines and immunotherapy. This Special Issue aims to enhance our understanding of the potential of cancer vaccines and immunotherapy, as well as their limitations, and provide insights for improving their effectiveness. We welcome original research articles and reviews covering a range of topics, including the latest advances in cancer vaccines and immunotherapy, their impact on the immune system and the response to cancer cells, and their combination with other cancer therapies. We also welcome studies based on the effectiveness of these treatments in cancer management, their potential for preventing cancer recurrence, as well as any potential side effects and risks associated with them. Additionally, we encourage submissions addressing the challenges and limitations of using cancer vaccines and immunotherapy in clinical practice and offering approaches to improve their efficacy and accessibility to cancer patients. We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Eyad Elkord
Dr. Afsheen Raza
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cancer
  • tumor microenvironment
  • tumor immunotherapy
  • therapy
  • cancer vaccines
  • combination therapy
  • tumor immune microenvironment
  • advanced therapies
  • biomarkers

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Review

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22 pages, 2561 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in the Development and Efficacy of Anti-Cancer Vaccines—A Narrative Review
by Kajetan Kiełbowski, Paulina Plewa, Jan Zadworny, Estera Bakinowska, Rafał Becht and Andrzej Pawlik
Vaccines 2025, 13(3), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13030237 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1132
Abstract
Immunotherapy is an established and efficient treatment strategy for a variety of malignancies. It aims to boost the anticancer properties of one’s own immune system. Several immunotherapeutic options are available, but immune checkpoint blockers represent the most widely known and investigated. Anticancer vaccines [...] Read more.
Immunotherapy is an established and efficient treatment strategy for a variety of malignancies. It aims to boost the anticancer properties of one’s own immune system. Several immunotherapeutic options are available, but immune checkpoint blockers represent the most widely known and investigated. Anticancer vaccines represent an evolving area of immunotherapy that stimulate antigen-presenting cells, cytotoxic responses of CD8+ T cells, and the presence of memory T cells, among others. Over the years, different approaches for anticancer vaccines have been studied, such as mRNA and DNA vaccines, together with dendritic cell- and viral vector-based vaccines. Recently, an accumulating number of clinical studies have been performed to analyze the safety and potential efficacy of these agents. The aim of this review is to summarize recent advances regarding different types of therapeutic anticancer vaccines. Furthermore, it will discuss how recent advances in preclinical models can enhance clinical outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy: Latest Advances, Limitations and Prospects)
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15 pages, 607 KiB  
Review
Vaccine Therapies for Prostate Cancer: Current Status and Future Outlook
by Wenhao Zhou, Xiaojun Lu, Feng Tian, Qianming Luo, Weihang Zhou, Siyuan Yang, Wenxuan Li, Yongjun Yang, Minfeng Shi and Tie Zhou
Vaccines 2024, 12(12), 1384; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12121384 - 9 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1891
Abstract
Prostate cancer is a prevalent cancer in elderly men, and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment approach in recent years. The aim of immunotherapy is to stimulate the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. Cancer vaccines that are highly [...] Read more.
Prostate cancer is a prevalent cancer in elderly men, and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment approach in recent years. The aim of immunotherapy is to stimulate the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. Cancer vaccines that are highly specific, safe, and capable of creating long-lasting immune responses are a key focus in cancer immunotherapy research. Despite progress in clinical trials showing positive results, the practical use of cancer vaccines still encounters various obstacles. The complexity of the immune microenvironment and variations in the immune systems of individual patients have hindered the progress of research on prostate cancer vaccines. This review examines the history and mechanisms of cancer vaccines, summarizes recent clinical research findings, and explores future directions in the development of prostate cancer vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy: Latest Advances, Limitations and Prospects)
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Other

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17 pages, 2557 KiB  
Systematic Review
Comparative Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Therapeutic Vaccines in Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
by Rasha Babiker, Adil Farooq Wali, Mohamed El-Tanani, Syed Arman Rabbani, Imran Rangraze, Shakta Mani Satyam, Mohamed Anas Patni and Yahia El-Tanani
Vaccines 2025, 13(4), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13040423 - 17 Apr 2025
Viewed by 328
Abstract
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and therapeutic vaccines have emerged as promising immunotherapeutic strategies for solid tumors. However, their comparative efficacy in improving overall survival (OS) remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ICIs and therapeutic [...] Read more.
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and therapeutic vaccines have emerged as promising immunotherapeutic strategies for solid tumors. However, their comparative efficacy in improving overall survival (OS) remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ICIs and therapeutic vaccines in improving OS in patients with solid tumors. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Clinical Trials.gov for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2024. Studies comparing ICIs or therapeutic vaccines against control treatments (placebo, standard of care, or active comparators) in adults with solid tumors were included. The primary outcome was OS, and data were pooled using RevMan (web). Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Results: Thirteen RCTs involving 10,991 participants were included. A total of 5722 of them were treated with therapeutic vaccines or checkpoint inhibitors. Therapeutic vaccines demonstrated insignificant improvement in OS, with a pooled mean difference of 1.89 months (95% CI: −0.54–4.31; P = 0.13), although with homogeneity (I2 = 0%). ICIs showed a statistically significant OS benefit, with a pooled mean difference of 1.32 months (95% CI: 0.62–2.02; P = 0.0002) and low heterogeneity (I2 = 12%). Conclusions: Therapeutic vaccines provide a larger but less consistent benefit, whereas ICIs offer modest but more consistent survival advantage. These findings support the need for personalized immunotherapy approaches as well as further research to identify predictive biomarkers and optimize treatment strategies by acquiring deep insights into the TME dynamic and behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy: Latest Advances, Limitations and Prospects)
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10 pages, 671 KiB  
Commentary
Turning Cancer Immunotherapy to the Emerging Immune Checkpoint TIGIT: Will This Break Through the Limitations of the Legacy Approach?
by Haozhe Cui and Eyad Elkord
Vaccines 2024, 12(12), 1306; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12121306 - 22 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1789
Abstract
The discovery of immune checkpoints (ICs) has pushed cancer treatment into the next era. As an emerging immune checkpoint, the TIGIT/CD155 axis inhibits the cytotoxicity of T and NK cells through multiple pathways. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting TIGIT are hopefully expected to [...] Read more.
The discovery of immune checkpoints (ICs) has pushed cancer treatment into the next era. As an emerging immune checkpoint, the TIGIT/CD155 axis inhibits the cytotoxicity of T and NK cells through multiple pathways. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting TIGIT are hopefully expected to address the issue of unresponsiveness to anti-PD-(L)1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by combination therapy. This paper presents insights on the expression, structure and mechanism of action of TIGIT, as well as the principles and methods of designing mAbs targeting TIGIT and their clinical data. The advantages and disadvantages of targeting TIGIT using mAbs, bispecific and tri-specific antibodies (bsAbs and tsAbs), peptides, and compounds, in addition to potential combination therapies of anti-TIGIT with anti-PD-1 or cancer vaccines, are addressed. Finally, perspectives on current immunotherapies targeting TIGIT are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy: Latest Advances, Limitations and Prospects)
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