Dendritic cell vaccines in breast cancer: Immune modulation and immunotherapy

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Although substantial progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, the efficacy and side effects of traditional treatment methods are still unsatisfactory. In recent years, immunotherapy including tumor vaccine has achieved great success in the treatment of BC. Dendritic cells (DCs) are multifunctional antigen-presenting cells that play an important role in the initiation and regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Numerous studies have shown that DC-based treatments might have a potential effect on BC. Among them, the clinical study of DC vaccine in BC has demonstrated considerable anti-tumor effect, and some DC vaccines have entered the stage of clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the immunomodulatory effects and related mechanisms of DC vaccine in breast cancer as well as the progress of clinical trials to propose possible challenges of DC vaccines and new development directions.

Automated summary

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Immunotherapy, including tumor vaccine, has shown great success in treating breast cancer. Dendritic cells are important antigen-presenting cells that play a role in immune responses. DC-based treatments, particularly DC vaccines, have demonstrated significant anti-tumor effects in clinical studies and are undergoing trials. This review summarizes the immunomodulatory effects of DC vaccines in breast cancer, discusses related mechanisms, and presents possible challenges and future directions.