Prostate cancer vaccines in clinical trials

Abstract

This review presents important information about the current state of the art for vaccine immunotherapy of prostate cancer. It includes important preclinical research for each of the important prostate cancer vaccines to have reached clinical trials. To date, the only prostate cancer vaccine that has completed Phase III trials and has been approved and licensed by the US FDA is Sipuleucel-T, which immunizes patients against the prostate-associated antigen prostatic acid phosphatase. The benefits and concerns associated with the vaccine are presented. A current Phase III trial is currently underway using the vaccinia-based prostate-specific antigen vaccine Prostvac-TRICOM. Other immunotherapeutic vaccines in trials include the Ad/prostate-specific antigen vaccine Ad5-prostate-specific antigen and the DNA/prostatic acid phosphatase vaccine. A cellular vaccine, GVAX, has been in clinical trials but has not seen continuous study. This review also delves into the multiple immune regulatory elements that must be overcome in order to obtain strong antitumor-associated antigen immune responses capable of effectively destroying prostate tumor cells.