Dados do Resumo

Título

mRNA Cancer Vaccines: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions in Immunotherapy

Introdução

The development of mRNA vaccines against cancer has revolutionized oncology in the management of malignant tumors, stimulating the immune system and attacking cancer cells. Recent advances in mRNA stability and delivery, combined with therapeutic personalization, have shown promising results in clinical trials. However, challenges such as tumor heterogeneity and the induction of robust immune responses remain, driving continued investigation in this emerging area.

Objetivo

To analyze the efficacy and evolution of vaccines based on current scientific studies, identifying trends and challenges for the future development of more efficient immunizers, considering aspects such as technological innovation, pathogen resistance and large-scale immunization strategies.

Métodos

This is an integrative literature review, carried out in August 2024, with articles indexed in the LILACS and MEDLINE databases, available on the Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library (BVS) and PUBMED. The following Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) were used: “Cancer Vaccines”, “Immunotherapy” and “Tumor Antigens”, with the Boolean operator AND to cross-reference the terms. Thus, 690 studies were found through the search strategy, of which 8 were used. Prognostic studies, controlled clinical trials and observational studies were included, which describe the methods of creating cancer vaccines, the challenges faced and future perspectives, published in English and Portuguese and in the period from 2023 to 2024. Incomplete texts, studies carried out on animals, studies on personalized vaccines, duplicate studies and studies on vaccines for specific types of cancer such as HPV, prostate, breast, among others were excluded.

Resultados

Cancer vaccines, especially mRNA vaccines, have emerged as a promising approach in immunotherapy. Modifying RNA in mRNA vaccines has been essential to increase their stability, improve antigen translation, and reduce unwanted innate immune responses. Recent advances, such as the incorporation of pseudouridine, have significantly improved the efficacy of these vaccines. In addition, the use of this therapeutic aims to treat existing tumors, showing its action in inducing robust immune responses. However, they face challenges such as tumor heterogeneity and immune evasion. Combinatorial strategies, such as the use of checkpoint inhibitors, have been explored to overcome these barriers. Recently, progress in mRNA cancer vaccines, driven by the experience gained with COVID-19 vaccines, has accelerated the development of personalized approaches, with promising prospects for the treatment of different types of cancer.

Conclusões

mRNA vaccines offer hope for the treatment of malignant tumors, potentiating the induction of vigorous, long-lasting, and tumor-specific immune responses. Modifying mRNA increases the stability and efficacy of the immune response. Although challenges such as heterogeneity and the need for stronger responses remain, oncology immunotherapy has a promising future, with the possibility of becoming a more personalized and effective treatment alternative.

Palavras Chave

Cancer Vaccines; immunotherapy; Tumor Antigens