Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18(15):5607-5623. doi:10.7150/ijbs.76281 This issue Cite
Review
1. Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
2. Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
3. Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
4. Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
5. Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
6. Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
7. Department of Pediatric Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 40052, China.
†These authors have contributed equally to this work and share the first authorship
Immunotherapy treatments harnessing the immune system herald a new era of personalized medicine, offering considerable benefits for cancer patients. Over the past years, tumor neoantigens emerged as a rising star in immunotherapy. Neoantigens are tumor-specific antigens arising from somatic mutations, which are proceeded and presented by the major histocompatibility complex on the cell surface. With the advancement of sequencing technology and bioinformatics engineering, the recognition of neoantigens has accelerated and is expected to be incorporated into the clinical routine. Currently, tumor vaccines against neoantigens mainly encompass peptides, DNA, RNA, and dendritic cells, which are extremely specific to individual patients. Due to the high immunogenicity of neoantigens, tumor vaccines could activate and expand antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to intensify anti-tumor immunity. Herein, we introduce the origin and prediction of neoantigens and compare the advantages and disadvantages of multiple types of neoantigen vaccines. Besides, we review the immunizations and the current clinical research status in neoantigen vaccines, and outline strategies for enhancing the efficacy of neoantigen vaccines. Finally, we present the challenges facing the application of neoantigens.
Keywords: Neoantigen, Cancer, Vaccine, Immunotherapy, Personalized therapy