A therapeutic peptide vaccine containing the human telomerase reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit (hTERT)-derived universal cancer peptides 2 (UCP2) and 4 (UCP4), and combined with the immunoadjuvant Montanide ISA 51 VG, with potential immunostimulating and antineoplastic activities. Vaccination with the CD4-specific telomerase peptide vaccine UCPVax activates the immune system to mount a T-helper 1 (TH1) CD4-positive T-lymphocyte immune response against and ultimately killing telomerase-expressing cells. Telomerase, a reverse transcriptase normally repressed in healthy cells, is overexpressed in most cancer cells and plays a key role in cellular proliferation.