Molecular insights into the development of T cell-based immunotherapy for prostate cancer

Using a patient's own immune system to fight cancer is a highly active area of cancer research. Four years ago, sipuleucel-T became the first approved cancer vaccine, which was developed to enhance T-cell immunity against metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Other prostate cancer vaccines, including a viral-based vaccine PROSTVAC-VF and a cellular vaccine GVAX, are in development. Moreover, several clinical trials are investigating the role of immune checkpoint blockade in the treatment of prostate cancer. Ipilimumab and nivolumab are potent T cell checkpoint inhibitors that reverse immunologic tolerance in multiple types of cancers. Here we discuss the mechanisms underlying antitumor T cell responses as well as the development of immunotherapies for prostate cancer.