RESUMO
The human epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (HER1) is a tumor-associated antigen that has been validated as a clinical target for several passive, non-immune therapies currently approved for the treatment of epithelial tumors. HER1 is an oncogene that not only promotes tumor progression and survival, but also immune escape. Its overexpression in some epithelial malignancies has been correlated with a poor prognosis. We developed an approach to target HER1 by specific active immunotherapy, recognizing the extracellular domain of the receptor, using a combination of VSSP and Montanide ISA 51 as adjuvants. We summarize the results obtained with this vaccine in both the preclinical and clinical settings, emphasizing the importance of the induction of both humoral and cellular responses for the success of cancer vaccines as safe therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of cancer.
