The rise of cancer vaccines: A new era in immunotherapy

Preventive vaccines are designed to avert cancer development by targeting infections that can lead to cancer. Some examples of these are human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines such as Gardasil and Cervaris that protect against HPV strains responsible for cervical, anal, and other cancers.

Therapeutic vaccines are administered to individuals already diagnosed with cancer. Their goal is to stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. These vaccines often target tumor-associated antigens or patient-specific neoantigens, training the immune system to identify and destroy malignant cells.