Gene therapy strategies utilizing carcinoembryonic antigen as a tumor associated antigen for vaccination against solid malignancies

摘要

Advanced solid malignancies represent a significant clinical problem with few effective treatment options. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a well defined tumor-associated antigen on the surface of many solid malignancies that is currently used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker. Recent advances in tumor immunology, the understanding of antigen presentation, and gene transfer vector systems now provide gene therapy strategies in the form of a cancer vaccine which target CEA in an effort to induce a therapeutic immune response. This chapter provides a brief history of cancer vaccine development, discusses current strategies for generating or augmenting CEA-specific immunity, and focuses on ongoing CEA-based gene therapy approaches for the treatment of solid malignancies