Peptide-Based Immunotherapeutics and Vaccines

Vaccination produces profound and long lasting modifications in the adaptive immune system comprising T and B cells. Vaccines are curative not mere palliative remedies and thus vaccination is the most efficient method to prevent and to lesser extent treat infectious diseases, cancer, and allergy conditions. Currently, there is an increasing interest in developing vaccines based on synthetic peptides encompassing B and T cell epitopes that precisely trigger a protective immune response. Because they are synthetic, peptide vaccines are intrinsically safer than alternative vaccine formulations. Moreover, peptide-based vaccines will allow focusing solely on relevant epitopes, avoiding those that lead to nonprotective responses, immune evasion, or unwanted side effects, such as autoimmunity. However, developing a successful peptide-based vaccine requires addressing a number of significant difficulties, such as overcoming the low intrinsic immunogenicity of individual peptides. In this special issue on peptide-based vaccines, we have incorporated 9 original articles and two reviews that deal with and examine various aspects of peptide-based vaccine design.