The search for new therapeutic approaches for patients with cancer led to the rebirth of immunotherapy.Tumor cells are amenable for immune recognition as they present several mutated proteins as antigens that are recognized by the immune system.Tumor antigens can be specific tumor antigens (STA) that are different for each tumor type and distinct from self-antigens, or they may be common tumor antigens (CTA) shared by many types of tumors and often represent overexpression of normal cellular proteins.However, the fact that cancer develops indicates the effectiveness of the tumor immune escape mechanisms that allow tumor cells to grow without detection and rejection for the immune system.Cancer vaccines are designed and tested in clinical trials as a way to augment tumor antigenecity and immunogenecity,embodying an ideal nontoxic treatment for cancer.The lecture will review vaccine types such as peptide vaccines, DNA vaccines, antibody-inducing vaccines and dendtritic-cell based vaccines, and will present new strategies for enhancing vaccine efficacy by the use of adjuvants and combination therapies.Specific examples from our laboratory will be presented to emphasize the integration between translational basic laboratory research and clinical trials development to attain new and better treatments for cancer.Such examples include viral and cellular oncogenes used as therapeutic and/or preventive vaccines for solid tumors.