Download File - JOHN J. HADDAD, Ph.D.

Preface
Throughout the last 20 years, progress in the field of molecular targeted therapies
and genomics resulted in significant advances in the treatment of hematological
and solid tumor malignancies. Nevertheless, the holy grail of cancer therapy, to
transform this illness into a manageable chronic condition or cure it altogether,
remains elusive. In spite of all the therapeutic advances made recently in cancer
therapy, there is still a lack of adequate therapeutic approaches to manage cancer
patients over long periods using conventional treatments. Therefore, the field of
cancer vaccines or immunotherapies in general may provide a ray of hope for
the future. Despite sustained research and development at both preclinical and
clinical stages—in academic and industry settings for over two decades—there is
still no approved therapeutic cancer vaccine in the United States. Promising
preclinical data in a wide range of models still remain to be translated into
innovative, safe, and effective therapeutic vaccines or active immunotherapies in
cancer. It is the editors’ conviction that in light of the challenges associated with
development of safe and effective cancer vaccines, it is more important to
critically examine the failures, dissect past experience, and daringly challenge
conventional paradigms that were artificially imported from other therapeutic
areas of drug development. A translational approach (bench to bedside and
reverse) aimed to optimize therapeutic platforms and guide the early development
process to patient populations that would likely benefit most would require both
significant time and financial commitment. However, this is a necessary evil for
the success of not only cancer vaccines but also first-in-class molecular targeted
therapies in general.
Cancer Vaccines: Challenges and Opportunities in Translation addresses
a wide range of readership from basic scientists with dual interest in oncology
and immunology, translational scientists, clinical researchers, industry scientists,
physicians, and technicians involved in the research and development of new
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