Prostate cancer has the second highest cancer mortality rate in the UK in males. Early prostate cancer is typically asymptomatic, with diagnosis at a locally advanced or metastatic stage. In addition, the inherent heterogeneity of prostate cancer tumours differs significantly in terms of genetic, molecular, and histological features. The successful treatment of prostate cancer is therefore exceedingly challenging. Immunotherapies, particularly therapeutic vaccines, have been widely used in preclinical and clinical studies to treat various cancers. Sipuleucel-T was the first cancer vaccine approved by the FDA for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), ushering in a new era of immunotherapy. In this review, the latest immunotherapy strategies for prostate cancer are considered with key tumour-associated antigens (TAA) and tumour-specific antigens (TSA) highlighted. The key components of mRNA vaccines include in vitro transcription, stability, and immunogenicity. Finally, strategies to circumvent in vivo mRNA degradation and approaches to optimise in vitro transcription (IVT) process are also discussed.
Critical reviews in oncology/hematology. 2025 Feb 01 [Epub ahead of print]
Guanjie Lin, Ahmed Elkashif, Chayanika Saha, Jonathan A Coulter, Nicholas J Dunne, Helen O McCarthy
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK., School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland; Centre for Medical Engineering Research, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland; Biodesign Europe, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland; Tissue, Engineering Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland; Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (I-Form), School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland; Advanced Processing Technology Research Centre, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland; Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland; Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland; Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland., School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK. Electronic address: .