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Although cancer vaccines have yielded promising results both in vitro and in animal models, their translation into clinical application has not been very successful so far. Through the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the tumor immunotherapy field revived and led to important new insights. A better understanding of the functional capacity of different dendritic cell (DC) subsets and the immunogenicity of tumor antigens, more particularly of neoantigens, have important implications for the improvement of cancer vaccines. These insights can guide the development of novel strategies, to enhance the clinical utility of cancer vaccines. The aim of this Research Topic is therefore to provide a comprehensive overview of current issues regarding cancer vaccine development with an emphasis on novel approaches toward enhancing their efficacy.
Despite continuous progress in the development of anti-viral and anti-bacterial/parasite drugs, the high cost of medicines and the potential for re-infection, especially in high risk groups, suggest that protective vaccines to some of the most dangerous persistent infections are still highly desirable. There are no vaccines available for HIV, HCV and Malaria, and all attempts to make a broadly effective vaccine have failed so far. In this Research Topic we look into why vaccines have failed over the years, and what we have learn from these attempts. Rather than only showing positive results, this issue aims to reflect on failed efforts in vaccine development. Coming to understand our limitations will have theoretical and practical implications for the future development of vaccines to these major global disease burdens.
This Research Topic is part of the “Methods in Immunology” series. Please submit your article to the Research Topic that best suits the focus of your research. Introduction and general guidelines: This series aims to highlight the latest experimental techniques and methods used to investigate fundamental questions in Immunology research, with a focus on Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy.
Malaria, caused by infection with protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Plasmodium, is a highly prevalent and lethal infectious disease, responsible for 435,000 deaths in 2017. Optimism that malaria was gradually being controlled and eliminated has been tempered by recent evidence that malaria control measures are beginning to stall and that Plasmodium parasites are developing resistance to front-line anti-malarial drugs. An important milestone has been the recent development of a malaria vaccine (Mosquirix) for use in humans, the very first against a parasitic infection. Unfortunately, this vaccine has modest and short-lived efficacy, with vaccinated individuals possibly being at incre...
CD4+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an indispensable role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and prevention of autoimmune diseases, and represent a major cellular mechanism of tumor immune evasion. Targeting of Tregs has great potential in the treatment of some major human diseases, including autoimmunity, transplant rejection, GvHD, and cancer, and are critical controllers of immunity to infectious pathogens. It is expected they will also be central to the control of allergic and inflammatory diseases. Understanding the biological pathways crucial for the regulation of Treg activity is a prerequisite for harnessing the immense therapeutic potential of Tregs. TNF is generally be...
Cellular immunology is a rapidly moving field in which recent advances have made significant contributions to our understanding of the immune response to infection and malignancy. These in turn, have given rise to new therapeutic opportunities in areas such as vaccines and immunotheraphy. Many investigators have been discourages by the complicated protocols involved in cellular immunological studies, as illustrated, by the meticulous care required for the generation of antigen-specific T-cells. Lymphocytes: A Practical Approach (second edition) contains straight-forward protocols for well- established procedures in the study of lymphocytes including preparation and identification of lymphocytes, immortalization, cell and organ culture, and quantification assays. It also covers the recent technological advances which have revolutionised the field, such as the use of the Interferon-gamma ELISpot assay and peptide-HLA tetrameric assays to quantify antigen-specifidc T-cells directly from peripheral blood, without the need for in vitro culture, and molecular methods for accurate HLA typing.
Tetraspanins are small (20-50 kDa) integral membrane proteins with four transmembrane domains that have an intrinsic propensity to associate with other membrane proteins and lipids giving rise to the formation of specific tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TEMs), also referred to as “The tetraspanin web”. In mammals, the tetraspanin family comprises of 33 different members, with the majority of the members being abundantly expressed in almost all cell types, including leukocytes which are responsible for innate and adaptive immunity as well as in other cells that play pivotal roles in immune responses, such as endothelial or stromal cells. Therefore, through the wide range of specific molecular interactions in which they are engaged, tetraspanins influence many processes of up-most relevance in the development, physiology and pathology of the immune system, including the control of immune cell morphology, signaling, adhesion, migration, invasion, fusion, infections and cancer.
This unique book provides comprehensive overview of the field of immunology related to engineered nanomaterials used for biomedical applications. It contains literature review, case studies and protocols. The book can serve as a source of information about nanoimmunotoxicology for both junior scientists and experts in the field. The authors have more than 10 years of experience with preclinical characterization of engineered nanomaterials used for medical applications, and they share their experience with the readers. In addition, the international team of experts in the field provides the opinion and share the expertise on individual topics related to nanoparticle physicochemical characteri...
The immune system harbors great potential for controlling and eliminating tumors. Recent developments in the field of immuno-oncology has led to unprecedented clinical benefits for a broad spectrum of solid tumors. However, immunotherapy (IT) approaches currently have several limitations including (i) low response rate; (ii) development of resistance and (iii) causing severe immune-related adverse effects (IrAEs), which underline the importance of adequate patient selection. Importantly, IT holds promising synergistic potential when combined with standard-of-care chemotherapy, radiotherapy (RT) and anti-angiogenic therapy (AAT) as part of multi-modal oncologic treatment regimes. Published da...