A comparison of cancer vaccine adjuvants in clinical trials

Abstract

Cancer treatment has come a long way in increasing overall survival; however, evasion of the immune system continues to be a challenge in treating individuals with established disease burdens. Due to the difficulty in stimulating an immune response against cancer, approaches utilizing combination adjuvants with different mechanisms may be beneficial. A combination of these adjuvants with other adjuvants or other treatments has demonstrated synergistic effects in the form of a robust and sustained immune response, demonstrating the importance of further development. This review discusses the intricacies of immune evasion, applications of adjuvants with different mechanisms of action, and adjuvants used for cancer immunotherapy in clinical trials.

Keywords

• GM-CSF
• Poly(I: C)
• IFA
• Cyclophosphamide
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors
• Vaccine adjuvants