Next-generation cancer vaccine approaches: Integrating lessons learned from current successes with promising biotechnologic advances

With the recent approval of sipuleucel-T for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and ipilimumab for metastatic melanoma, there is increasing excitement in the field of cancer immunotherapy. A large number of clinical trials are currently testing various vaccine vectors in a diverse array of cancer types. Which of these strategies will ultimately prove successful has yet to be determined. However, a better understanding of the complex interplay of tumor-specific T cells and the challenges faced at the tumor microenvironment, advances in biotechnology, and lessons learned from prior successes and failures will likely lead to approvals of other therapeutic cancer vaccines.