Cancer vaccines: an update

Abstract

This review summarizes the most recent findings and the future directions in designing cancer vaccines. The newest tumor-associated antigens and the most promising approaches to cancer vaccine development are discussed. We categorized them as follows: peptide vaccines, recombinant viral vaccines, DNA vaccines, dendritic cell-based immunotherapy, and the use of heat shock proteins and adjuvants. We focus on their advantages and disadvantages in addition to clinical potential.