[Antitumor vaccines: conception, development and evaluation in humans].

Our strategy is to develop multivalent recombinant vaccines capable of eliciting broad immune responses in patients with malignant melanoma or colorectal cancer. Our current focus is on the induction of tumor-specific T cell responses using a prime-boost immunization schedule with a unique vector system derived from the canarypox virus called ALVAC, in which we incorporate genes encoding Tumor Associated Antigens (TAAs). A series of phase I/II clinical studies evaluating ALVAC recombinants carrying either the CEA, p53, MAGE1 or MAGE3 genes, administered through the subcutaneous, intradermal or intravenous routes, has shown that this approach is safe and can induce tumor-specific antibody or T cell responses in at least some of the patients. Based on these encouraging results, future candidate vaccines will likely target multiple tumor-associated antigens, using several antigen presentation platforms associated in prime-boost immunization regimens.