Biomaterials for vaccine-based cancer immunotherapy

• Published in: Journal of controlled release 2018-12, Vol.292, p.256-276
• Main Authors: Zhang, Rui, Billingsley, Margaret M., Mitchell, Michael J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Biomaterials; Cancer vaccine; Cancer Vaccines; Humans; Immunotherapy; Lymph Nodes - metabolism; Nanomedicine; Neoplasms - therapy; Nucleic acid delivery; Personalized therapy; Precision Medicine; Targeted delivery; Translational research
• ISSN: 0168-3659; 1873-4995
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.10.008

The development of therapeutic cancer vaccines as a means to generate immune reactivity against tumors has been explored since the early discovery of tumor-specific antigens by Georg Klein in the 1960s. However, challenges including weak immunogenicity, systemic toxicity, and off-target effects of cancer vaccines remain as barriers to their broad clinical translation. Advances in the design and implementation of biomaterials are now enabling enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity of cancer vaccines by controlling the presentation and release of vaccine components to immune cells and their microenvironment. Here, we discuss the rational design and clinical status of several classes of cancer vaccines (including DNA, mRNA, peptide/protein, and cell-based vaccines) along with novel biomaterial-based delivery technologies that improve their safety and efficacy. Further, strategies for designing new platforms for personalized cancer vaccines are also considered. [Display omitted] •Cancer vaccines aim to reprogram a patient’s own immune cells to target and kill cancer cells.•Barriers to the broad clinical translation of cancer vaccines include weak immunogenicity and systemic toxicity.•Advances in biomaterials for drug delivery can overcome the challenges faced in cancer vaccination.•Nanoparticle- and implantable scaffold-based delivery technologies can improve cancer vaccine safety and efficacy.•Biomaterials for drug delivery can be exploited in future research to design platforms for personalized cancer vaccines.