Scientists have created a pipeline for identifying, prioritizing and evaluating potential tumor antigens for the fast generation of cancer vaccines, according to a report published today in eLife.

The new approach could help researchers quickly identify tumor-specific antigens recognized by cytotoxic T cells, generating a powerful, durable and highly specific response against an individual's tumor. This could lead in turn to a quicker and easier way to generate effective, personalized cancer vaccines based on the identified antigens.

"For a cancer vaccine to be effective, we need to select target antigens that elicit a strong immune response, are exclusively present on cancer cells and are tailored to an individual's unique tumor type," explains first author Sara Feola, Postdoctoral Researcher at the ImmunoViroTherapy Lab (IVTLab), University of Helsinki, Finland. "However, only a few, if any, of the antigens on a tumor meet those characteristics, making it very difficult to identify and prioritize potentially effective candidates. Our pipeline comprises all the essential steps for the optimal development of a therapeutic cancer vaccine, but which could be carried out much more quickly on an individual patient basis, enabling true personalized therapy."

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