Biomaterials-assisted cancer vaccine delivery: preclinical landscape, challenges, and opportunities

ABSTRACTIntroductionCancer vaccines (protein and peptide, DNA, mRNA, and tumor cell) have achieved remarkable success in the treatment of cancer. In particular, advances in the design and manufacture of biomaterials have made it possible to control the presentation and delivery of vaccine components to immune cells.Areas coveredThis review summarizes findings from major databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on articles published between 2005 and 2024 that discuss biomaterials in cancer vaccine delivery.Expert opinionThe development of cancer vaccines is hindered by several bottlenecks, including low immunogenicity, instability of vaccine components, and challenges in evaluating their clinical efficacy. To transform preclinical successes into viable treatments, it is essential to pursue continued innovation, collaborative research, and address issues related to scalability, regulatory pathways, and clinical validation, ultimately improving outcomes against cancer.