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Vaccine targeting cancer-related antigens appears to prolong survival.
2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers seeking to direct cancer-killing immune cells against the deadliest brain tumors have three new targets that show promise in laboratory studies and in a Phase I patient trial, according to two studies.
The antigens, previously associated with several other types of cancer cells, were recently found to be expressed in the most common and aggressive type of malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Scientists at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and the National Cancer Institute have generated cytotoxic T lymphocyte clones (cancer-killing immune cells) that recognize GBM cells expressing these antigens.
"In a Phase I clinical trial of 14 patients, we found that our dendritic cell vaccine not only generated an immune response against these antigens but it appeared to play a significant role in prolonging survival in patients with glioblastoma," said Keith L. Black, MD, director of the Institute, the Division of Neurosurgery and the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program at Cedars-Sinai.
The study was published in the July 15, 2004, issue of the journal Cancer Research.
The median length of survival of patients with recurrent glioblastoma whose treatment included the vaccine was 133 weeks - about 2 1/2 years. A similar group of patients receiving the same level of care but not the vaccine had a median survival of only 30 weeks - 7 1/2 months.
John S. Yu, MD, senior author of the articles and co-director of the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program, said these findings represent a significant advance in the field of brain tumor immunotherapy.
"This is the first time that a specific response to brain tumor antigens has been demonstrated as the result of an immunotherapy strategy," he said. "These antigens give us specific targets to aim for and they give us potent tools with which to measure immune responses. Therefore, we have a better way of monitoring the progress of patients who undergo vaccination and we have a means of improving these therapies."
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