Figure 2.

Immune system response with prophylactic cancer vaccine administration. Following administration of a cancer vaccine, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) from the innate immune system such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) recognize the injected antigen as foreign via pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), and uptake the antigen. Subsequently, the APCs transport the antigen, migrating to a lymph node and processing and presenting the antigen via major histocompatibility complex (MHC) pathway. Once in the lymph node, an immune synapse will form as the APC presents the antigen to an immature T cell at the T cell receptor (TCR). T cells will be activated by this interaction, with the aid of cytokines and co-stimulatory signals from the APC. Upon activation, T cells proliferate via IL-2 production and differentiate into effector T cells depending on cytokines and MHC type from the APC. These T cells can then contribute to the activation of B cells or travel to distant sites as effector or memory T cells. This primary response following vaccination produces memory cells so that secondary exposure to cancer-associated antigens results in a rapid and robust secondary immune response.