Cancer vaccine adjuvants

Abstract

Adjuvants are important components of cancer vaccines because they enhance immune responses to vaccination. However, adjuvants licensed for clinical use, e. g. aluminum salts, fail to stimulate an effective immune response. Research and development of new adjuvants with combined functions, including immune stimulation and antigen delivery, are a vital task for antitumor immunotherapy. Clinical trials of immune stimulating compounds, in particular Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, reveal their therapeutic potential as both antitumor agents and vaccine adjuvants.