Encouraging Results and Updates in Personalized Neoantigen Targeting Vaccines
Catherine Wu, M.D.
Chief, Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies
Lavine Family Chair for Preventative Cancer Therapies Physician
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Harvard Medical School
Catherine J. Wu, M.D., is a physician-scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute whose research focuses on the biology and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Her laboratory uses genomic, transcriptomic, and immunologic approaches to identify tumor-specific antigens, define CLL driver genes, and understand tumor heterogeneity and treatment response. Dr. Wu has led clinical studies of personalized cancer vaccines and immune-based therapies, including approaches following allogeneic stem cell transplantation. She received her M.D. from Stanford University, trained at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and completed fellowship training at Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, where she leads the Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies program.
Summary
Multiple lines of evidence have convincingly demonstrated tumor neoantigens as an important class of immunogenic tumor antigens, and have motivated the development of personalized cancer neoantigen targeting approaches. Neoantigens arise from amino acid changes encoded by somatic mutations in the tumor cell and have the potential to bind to and be presented by personal HLA molecules. As a field, we have now successfully moved beyond the first wave proof-of-concept studies that have demonstrated the safety, feasibility and high immunogenicity of these personalized vaccines. An imperative now is to address the challenges of discovering and optimizing the selection of antigens to target, the delivery approach, and extending this promising approach to a broader array of cancer settings.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the impact of cancer vaccines.
- Understand the therapeutic challenges posed by cancer heterogeneity.
- Understand the concept of a tumor neoantigen.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, August 26, 2026