Translational Peptide-associated Nanosystems: Promising Role as Cancer Vaccines.
2015
Cancer is a heterogeneous disease that results from a multi-step process, being characterized
by uncontrolled proliferation, invasion and metastasis. The understanding that tumor cells can be
recognized by host immune cells has highlighted the potential advantages of using vaccination purposes
to eliminate cancer cells, while avoiding severe side effects associated to conventional cancer
treatments. Interesting outcomes have been obtained with the new identified tumor associated antigens
(TAAs), including recombinant proteins and peptides. However, these molecules are weakly immunogenic,
demanding the concomitant use of adjuvants to boost and achieve a strong tumor-specific immune response. Different
classes of nanosystems have been used to protect and deliver several vaccine components. In vitro and preclinical
studies have emphasized their promising role to attain a prolonged eradication of cancer cells, including metastasis. However,
some studies support the co-entrapment of multiple adjuvants and TAAs within a single particulate carrier, while
others indicate that stronger immune responses were obtained using a mixture of nanocarriers entrapping different combinations
of TAAs and adjuvants. These apparently contradictory results may be related to nanocarrier physicochemical
properties, which have a profound impact on their interaction with targeted cells and consequent biological effects. This
review discusses the application of nanoscale systems as cancer vaccines, highlighting the particular characteristics of tumor
biology and immunology that have been used to guide the design of these nanodelivery tools. We also aim to explore
the major weaknesses that have prevented their wide application in the clinic to overcome the delivery, efficacy and safety
issues associated to biological entities.
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