In silico prediction of cancer immunogens: current state of the art

• Published in: BMC immunology Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 11
• Main Authors: Doytchinova, Irini A, Flower, Darren R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 15.03.2018; BMC
• Subjects: Antigens; Antigens, Neoplasm - immunology; Antigens, Neoplasm - therapeutic use; Cancer; Cancer immunogens; Cancer therapies; Cancer Vaccines - immunology; Cancer Vaccines - therapeutic use; Clinical Trials as Topic; Computational Biology - methods; Computer applications; Computer Simulation; Databases of cancer immunogens; Dendritic cell-based vaccines; Dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Epitopes; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Immunologic Factors - immunology; Immunologic Factors - therapeutic use; Immunotherapy; Immunotherapy - methods; Mortality; Multi-epitope vaccines; Mutation; Neoplasms - immunology; Neoplasms - therapy; Prediction of cancer immunogens; Predictions; Review; Testicular cancer; Vaccines; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Databases of cancer immunogens; Multi-epitope vaccines; Prediction of cancer immunogens; Cancer immunogens; Dendritic cell-based vaccines
• ISSN: 1471-2172; 1471-2172
• DOI: 10.1186/s12865-018-0248-x

Cancer kills 8 million annually worldwide. Although survival rates in prevalent cancers continue to increase, many cancers have no effective treatment, prompting the search for new and improved protocols. Immunotherapy is a new and exciting addition to the anti-cancer arsenal. The successful and accurate identification of aberrant host proteins acting as antigens for vaccination and immunotherapy is a key aspiration for both experimental and computational research. Here we describe key elements of in silico prediction, including databases of cancer antigens and bleeding-edge methodology for their prediction. We also highlight the role dendritic cell vaccines can play and how they can act as delivery mechanisms for epitope ensemble vaccines. Immunoinformatics can help streamline the discovery and utility of Cancer Immunogens.