Table 1.

Summary of vaccine trials in sarcoma using various tumour-specific target molecules.

Tumour-Specific Molecule	Example in Sarcoma	Population	Intervention	n	Outcomes	Reference
Differentiation antigens	NY-ESO-1 peptide vaccine	Minimal residual disease following resection of NY-ESO-1 positive tumours	Three doses of peptide vaccine +/−adjuvant at 4 week intervals; various dose levels of peptide and adjuvant	46	All patients who received vaccine with an adjuvant had a measurable serological response 10/16 patients who received vaccine and adjuvant had a DTH response NY-ESO-1 specific T cell responses detected in all patients tested	[31]
Ganglioside antigens	Trivalent ganglioside conjugate vaccine	Recurrent or metastatic sarcoma, macroscopically disease-free post metastectomy	10 doses of vaccine or placebo given with OPT-281 over 84 weeks	136	PFS 6.4 months in vaccine and placebo arms	[36]
Neoantigen secondary to chromosomal translocation event	SYT-SSX fusion peptide	Advanced synovial sarcoma	9 patients received peptide vaccine alone; 12 patients received peptide vaccine + adjuvant + interferon-α Six doses were given at 14 day intervals	21	Peptide vaccine alone: 1/9 stable disease Peptide vaccine + adjuvant + interferon-α: 6/12 stable disease	[39]
Autologous tumour cells	Expanded tumour cells from fresh biopsy, irradiated	Recurrent or metastatic sarcoma	Vaccine weekly for 3 weeks and then monthly for up to 5 months (total 6 months or 8 doses)	23	Median survival of 16.6 months for patients who demonstrated positive delayed hypersensitivity three weeks post vaccination versus 8.2 months	[40]

Key: n, number of patients; DTH, delayed-type hypersensitivity; PFS, progression-free survival.