Not every type of cancer is suitable for vaccine therapies. For a vaccine therapy to be implemen-ted, the cancer should be immunogenic and conta-in tissue specific proteins, should have a slow prog-ression, and treatments should be feasible. For that reason, studies regarding urological cancers, most of which are phase 1/2 and phase 3, are mostly focused on the kidneys and the prostate and less focused on the bladder (1,2). The reason for lack of vaccine studies in testicular cancer can be explai-ned by the fact that it spreads and forms metastases very fast, it has various types and it is mostly seen as mixed tumors, and there is blood-testis barrier.
The aim of implementing vaccine therapy is to activate immune response against malignant cells by overcoming the tolerance triggered by the tu-mor. These treatments are effective using the im-mune response against cancer. The first oncologi-cal vaccine therapy ever published in the literature belongs to Coley dating back to 1893. In that study it is demonstrated that inoperable soft tissue sarco-mas regressed by stimulating non-specific immu-ne response with streptococcal toxins (3). Vaccine therapies used in uro-oncology can be categorized under the following titles; tumor cells (autologous and allogenic), dendritic cell, DNA viral vector, protein/peptide, immune regulators (4). Altho-ugh there are old studies on the implementation of vaccine therapies in kidney and bladder tumors, researches have only been intensified recently. In this compilation, we will discuss vaccine therapies used in kidney and bladder tumors, which urolo-gists are not so familiar with, in the light of the up-to-date literature.
Key Words: kidney cancer, bladder cancer, immunotherapy, vaccine therapy
Abstract
Not every type of cancer is suitable for vaccine therapies. For a vaccine therapy to be implemen-ted, the cancer should be immunogenic and conta-in tissue specific proteins, should have a slow prog-ression, and treatments should be feasible. For that reason, studies regarding urological cancers, most of which are phase 1/2 and phase 3, are mostly focused on the kidneys and the prostate and less focused on the bladder (1,2). The reason for lack of vaccine studies in testicular cancer can be explai-ned by the fact that it spreads and forms metastases very fast, it has various types and it is mostly seen as mixed tumors, and there is blood-testis barrier.
The aim of implementing vaccine therapy is to activate immune response against malignant cells by overcoming the tolerance triggered by the tu-mor. These treatments are effective using the im-mune response against cancer. The first oncologi-cal vaccine therapy ever published in the literature belongs to Coley dating back to 1893. In that study it is demonstrated that inoperable soft tissue sarco-mas regressed by stimulating non-specific immu-ne response with streptococcal toxins (3). Vaccine therapies used in uro-oncology can be categorized under the following titles; tumor cells (autologous and allogenic), dendritic cell, DNA viral vector, protein/peptide, immune regulators (4). Altho-ugh there are old studies on the implementation of vaccine therapies in kidney and bladder tumors, researches have only been intensified recently. In this compilation, we will discuss vaccine therapies used in kidney and bladder tumors, which urolo-gists are not so familiar with, in the light of the up-to-date literature.
Key Words: kidney cancer, bladder cancer, immunotherapy, vaccine therapy