Strategies for the development of PSA-based vaccines for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer

Expert Rev Vaccines. 2003 Aug;2(4):483-93. doi: 10.1586/14760584.2.4.483.

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in males in the USA. Vaccine strategies represent a novel therapeutic approach. One potential target for a prostate cancer vaccine is prostate-specific antigen (PSA), due to its restricted expression in prostate cancer and normal prostatic epithelial cells. A number of PSAspecific epitopes have been identified that can activate cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) and in turn lead to the killing of tumor targets by the peptide-specific CTLs. Strategies have now been employed in clinical trials using RNA-pulsed dendritic cell vaccines, recombinant protein vaccines, and recombinant viral vector delivery of vaccines. Newer approaches incorporating costimulatory molecules that enhance Tcell activation are also being investigated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / immunology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / immunology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / therapy*

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen