Where a cell is malignant, it might express some characteristics lacking in normal cells. Such antigens, neoantigens, work like fingerprints because they represent special identifications recognizable by the immune system. Such neoantigens now have been harnessed to develop personalized vaccines, including treatment, against cancer; instructing the immune system to kill cancerous cells and spare normal tissues.
The paper outlines the formation of neoantigens, how they differ from regular proteins in our body, and why neoantigens are a very exciting tool in the fight against cancer. It also shows how new technologies, such as gene sequencing, are helping scientists find these unique markers in cancer cells much faster and more accurately. The authors go on to discuss recent breakthroughs in developing vaccines and therapies that target neoantigens, successes, and hurdles that need to be overcome.
Imagine a future where treatments for cancer are targeted toward your own personal tumor. That’s what neoantigen-based therapies promise. Though there are considerable obstacles, such as genetic variation and the cancerous cell’s ability to adapt, this new approach encourages hopes for smarter, more precise treatments in the nearest future.
Full text: Chakraborty, C., Majumder, A., Bhattacharya, M., Chatterjee, S., & Lee, S.-S. (2024). The landscape of neoantigens and its clinical applications: From immunobiology to cancer vaccines. Current Research in Biotechnology, 100177, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbiot.2024.100177.