Therapeutic Vaccines in Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is a major worldwide health issue, characterised by an increasing occurrence in both males and females. The classification of breast cancer subgroups is determined by variations in hormone receptor expression. Although traditional breast cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, have demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of patients, they are frequently associated with significant adverse effects and recurrence. The emergence of therapeutic vaccines has become a promising option for the field of immunotherapy. These vaccines enhance the body’s immune system to identify and eliminate cancerous tumour cells. The current approach to vaccine therapy for breast cancer focuses on the targeting of two main categories of antigens: tumour associated antigens and tumour specific antigens. Excitingly, multiple vaccine strategies for breast cancer treatment have been employed, all of which have demonstrated promise and effectiveness in clinical studies. Currently, proposed vaccine types include peptide-based vaccines, whole tumour cell vaccines, DNA/RNA-based vaccines, dendritic cell vaccines, and viral-vector vaccines, etc. This review examined the present state of different types of vaccines in breast cancer therapy, including the therapeutic mechanism and the treatment outcomes.