DNA-Based Cancer Vaccine: Advancement and Challenges

A DNA vaccine is a novel immunotherapeutic strategy utilized to combat cancer and diseases caused by various antigens by inducing immunity against the specific antigen. DNA vaccines are considered safe, easy to produce, cost-effective, and exhibit in-vivo stability. The activation of the cytotoxic T-cell immunological pathway can be enhanced by incorporating a suitable sequence from an antigen gene into the carrier or vector of the vaccine. Through the use of cytokines and a xenogenic p53 version present in the antigen, T-cell stimulation by the vaccine reacts against viral or mutated proteins. Despite their numerous advantages, vaccines containing genes like DNA and RNA still face challenges in eliciting robust immune responses against their antigens, although solutions are being developed. This chapter provides a brief overview of DNA-based vaccines for cancer, including progress in DNA-based vaccines, challenges, and insights into the various immunological mechanisms contributing to their ability to trigger immune responses.