Vaccines & Emerging Diseases

Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy

Cancer vaccines and immunotherapy are pioneering strategies in oncology, utilizing the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. Cancer vaccines aim to activate the immune system to identify and combat specific cancer-related antigens, with options for both therapeutic vaccines to treat active cancer and preventive vaccines to lower the risk of developing certain cancers. Immunotherapy encompasses a variety of methods, including checkpoint inhibitors that disrupt proteins inhibiting immune activity, and CAR-T cell therapy, which involves engineering a patient’s T cells to more effectively recognize and attack cancer cells. These advanced treatments represent a significant shift towards more personalized and targeted approaches in cancer care.