Are dendritic cells the most appropriate therapeutic vaccine for patients with ovarian cancer?

Abstract

New treatments are urgently needed in patients with ovarian cancer (OC), as diagnosis is delayed in many instances, resulting in 85% recurrence of the disease following surgery and standard chemotherapy. OC is considered to be an immunological type of cancer, despite its limited response to current immunotherapy options, including vaccination. Thus, additional interventions may improve their efficacy. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most widely used cellular vaccination therapy in patients with OC due to their crucial role in the initiation and development of immune response. There are viable options for DC-vaccination with a favorable toxicity profile, but specific alternatives should consider the limited therapeutic effectiveness of DC-vaccination in OC treatment. In this respect, B-cells and macrophages provide additional possibilities that may be explored for immunotherapy. Here we consider the current state-of-the-art of immunotherapy strategies for OC treatment and evaluate their potential for future improvements