Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a particular kind of brain tumor that has been confirmed to be fatal. Despite ongoing research, GBM remains a challenging disease to treat. However, a potential new approach to treating GBM has emerged: immunotherapy. Particularly, tumor vaccines have demonstrated considerable promise in stimulating the host defense mechanism to control tumor cell's progression or even kill it. Tumor vaccines come in three primary varieties: peptide and protein vaccinations, RNA and DNA vaccines and cell vaccines. Each vaccine type has a somewhat different mechanism of action, but they all aim to activate the immune system to attack the tumor. The use of tumor vaccines in clinical studies has typically yielded positive outcomes for the treatment of GBM. While there are still many challenges to overcome, ongoing research and clinical trials are providing hope for patients with this deadly disease. This article reviews the classification, mechanisms, clinical trials of antigenic vaccines and the challenges now faced by the researchers.
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