💉 Cancer Vaccine [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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====== 💉 Cancer Vaccine ======

A **cancer vaccine** is a type of **[[immunotherapy]]** designed to stimulate the [[immune system]] to recognize and attack **[[cancer cell]]s**. These [[vaccine]]s may be used to **prevent** [[cancer]] or to **treat** existing cancers by enhancing the body’s immune defenses.

===== 🔬 Types of Cancer Vaccines =====

==== 1. Preventive (Prophylactic) Vaccines ====
Vaccines that **prevent cancer** by targeting **oncogenic viruses**.

  * **HPV vaccine** → prevents cervical, anal, and other HPV-related cancers
  * **Hepatitis B vaccine** → reduces risk of liver cancer

==== 2. Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines ====
Vaccines that **treat existing cancers** by triggering immune responses against **tumor-specific antigens**. Often **personalized** based on the patient’s tumor.

===== 🧠 How Cancer Vaccines Work =====

  - Deliver tumor antigen (or genetic material coding for it)
  - Antigen is presented by **dendritic cells**
  - **T cells** are activated (especially CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells)
  - Immune system attacks tumor cells expressing the antigen

===== 📦 Delivery Platforms =====

  * Peptide-based vaccines
  * mRNA or DNA vaccines
  * Dendritic cell-based vaccines
  * Viral vector vaccines
  * Tumor lysate or neoantigen-based vaccines

===== ✅ Clinical Examples =====

^ Vaccine Name               ^ Type        ^ Target                  ^ Status            ^
| **HPV vaccine**            | Preventive  | Human papillomavirus     | Approved          |
| **Hepatitis B vaccine**    | Preventive  | Hepatitis B virus        | Approved          |
| **Sipuleucel-T (Provenge)**| Therapeutic | Prostate cancer antigen  | FDA-approved      |
| **mRNA-4157 (Moderna)**    | Therapeutic | Personalized neoantigens | In clinical trials|

===== ⚠️ Challenges =====

  - **Tumor heterogeneity**
  - **Immune evasion mechanisms**
  - **Efficient delivery of antigens**
  - **Time and cost of personalization**

===== 🚀 Future Directions =====

  * AI-based neoantigen prediction
  * Personalized mRNA vaccines
  * Combination with checkpoint inhibitors
  * Nanoparticle-based delivery
  * Allogenic “off-the-shelf” vaccines

===== 🧾 Summary =====

Cancer vaccines represent a growing area in oncology. **Prophylactic vaccines** like HPV and HBV are proven, while **therapeutic cancer vaccines** are advancing rapidly. Their success depends on precise **antigen targeting**, **efficient immune activation**, and often **combination with other therapies**.

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===== Cancer Vaccine for Glioma =====
[[Cancer Vaccine for Glioma]].