Published: August 2, 2021
Stymied and disoriented. Thats one way to describe the state of the immune system in some patients with cancer. T cells revved up to attack tumors are turned into an army of loiterers. Cells keenly attuned to signals of infection or disease fail to pick up the faint notes of cancer.
A clinical trial led by Dana-Farber researchers is addressing both of these issues in patients who have undergone surgery for kidney cancer but have a high risk of recurrence. Patients in the trial receive the latest generation of NeoVax, a personalized vaccine made from tiny bits of each patients tumor cells. They also are treated with a local injection of an immune checkpoint inhibitor, which liberates a specific group of T cells to take up an assault on tumor cells.
In the words of David Braun, MD, PhD, the principal investigator of the trial (with Toni Choueiri, MD, and Patrick Ott, MD, PhD), the checkpoint inhibitor releases the brakes on the immune response while the personalized vaccine makes it possible to steer the immune system specifically to a patients tumor.
The dual approach seeks to improve on the results achieved by either treatment alone. Checkpoint inhibitors, which have transformed the treatment of some cancers, have had little success against others. NeoVax, developed by Dana-Farbers Catherine Wu, MD, and her colleagues, has performed well in clinical trials, but its potential has only begun to be explored.
Patients with advanced kidney cancer are in need of better treatments to prevent the return of their disease and particularly stand to benefit from this combination, Braun remarks.
Even after surgery to remove the kidney, where a patient might have no evidence of disease on imaging, patients with stage III or IV cancer are at high risk of recurrence. Right now, the tools we have to lower that risk are limited.
Richard Boylan is one of those who, in the absence of the trial, would have faced a dearth of options to prevent his cancer from coming back. Diagnosed with stage III kidney cancer in mid-2019, Boylan, 67, learned about the trial from his local surgeon.
He explained that the trial would be integrated with the surgery, says Boylan, of Holliston, Mass. When the tumor was removed in October, it was sent to Dana-Farber for analysis.
At the Institute, technicians sequenced the DNA in the tumor and in a sample of Boylans blood to identify the genetic changes that distinguished the tumor cells from the bodys normal cells. Specialists used bioinformatics to predict which of these changes, or mutations, were most likely to trigger an immune response.
We pick the top 20 targets and make millions of copies of each one in the form of peptides, short chains of amino acids, that stimulate the immune system, Braun explains. We then inject these peptides, which constitute the NeoVax vaccine, into patients.
The peptides are paired with low doses of a local injection of a checkpoint inhibitor. The hope is we can lift the brakes just enough to stir the immune response without producing adverse effects, Braun notes.
In February and June of 2020, Boylan underwent leukapheresis procedures, which separate out white blood cells from the rest of the blood. The first one was done prior to treatment with NeoVax, the second one after. Each sample of white blood cells would be mixed with tumor cells in what Boylan calls a laboratory cage match to see if the cells in the second sample, enriched with tumor cell peptides, mount a fiercer attack on the cancer than cells in the first sample.
The trial itself involved a lot of shots, a lot of needles, over an extended period, Boylan remarks, adding, I am not a big fan of needles.
At each treatment session, Boylan received three shots in each arm and each leg. Two of those three shots consisted of the peptides, the other was an immune stimulant. (The trial involves targeting many different mutations or neoantigens; hence the injections in each limb.)
The only noteworthy side effect, Boylan says, came when he was receiving the vaccine every week.
Some of them would knock me back for at least 24 hours it felt like having the flu. But, honestly, the side effects from my most recent shingles shot were worse than those from the vaccine.
The trial is supported by Gateway for Cancer Research, and the laboratory-based research is supported by the Department of Defense Congressionally-Directed Medical Research Program. As the trial is still underway, effectiveness of the regimen hasnt been analyzed, but Boylan has picked up some promising signs.
For some patients, theres a 40% risk of recurrence over an extended period of time, he says, but you can tell by the enthusiasm you hear in talking to the doctors how well the study is going.
Go here to read the rest:
Study Pairs Two Forms of Immunotherapy in Patients with Advanced Kidney Cancer | Dana-Farber - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Overview of the Immune System - The Merck Manuals - March 18th, 2024
- SUNDAY Unraveling The Gut-Brain Connection: How Infant Gut Bacteria Shape Immune Resilience | TheHealthSit - TheHealthSite - March 18th, 2024
- Making drugs from T cells: The quantitative pharmacology of engineered T cell therapeutics | npj Systems Biology and ... - Nature.com - March 18th, 2024
- Study unlocks the mystery of neonatal neutropenia in newborns - News-Medical.Net - March 18th, 2024
- Vertebral Subluxation and Systems Biology: An Integrative Review Exploring the Salutogenic Influence of Chiropractic ... - Cureus - March 18th, 2024
- A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests - ABC News - March 18th, 2024
- Turning on the Bat Signal - The Scientist - March 18th, 2024
- Power Foods That Can Support Your Immune System - Videos from The Weather Channel - The Weather Channel - March 18th, 2024
- Report: Aggressive brain tumors respond to new, immune-focused therapy - UPI News - March 18th, 2024
- Designer immune-cell therapy could shrink deadly brain tumors, early trials show - Livescience.com - March 18th, 2024
- 20.2: Introduction to the Immune System - Biology LibreTexts - February 27th, 2024
- Can one shot of yoghurt really boost your immunity and gut health? - Daily Mail - February 27th, 2024
- New cancer therapy approved by FDA supercharges bodys immune system - The Washington Post - February 27th, 2024
- How bubonic plague rewired the human immune system - BBC.com - February 27th, 2024
- Innovative therapy targets and destroys leukemia stem cells - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- Participate in Our Study for $100; Open Slots This Week - University of Arkansas Newswire - February 27th, 2024
- Sexual dimorphism during integrative endocrine and immune responses to ionizing radiation in mice | Scientific Reports - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis identifies the RNA-binding protein LRPPRC as a novel prognostic and immune ... - ScienceDirect.com - February 27th, 2024
- YOUR HEALTH: The HAMR fights cancer - WAFB - February 27th, 2024
- Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting can reduce signs of immune system aging, as well as insulin resistance and liver fat - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- How the powerhouse of the cell could be cancers Achilles heel - Freethink - February 27th, 2024
- Food is medicine: The science behind zinc and other supplements for immune health - Healio - February 27th, 2024
- Unleashing Our Immune Response to Quash Cancer - Medscape - February 27th, 2024
- Tumor histoculture captures the dynamic interactions between tumor and immune components in response to anti-PD1 ... - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Converging and evolving immuno-genomic routes toward immune escape in breast cancer - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Sanjula Jain Urges a Comprehensive Approach in Address Alarming Rise in Cancer Cases Among Younger Populations - Managed Healthcare Executive - February 27th, 2024
- Cystic fibrosis breakthrough points to zinc as infection buster - New Atlas - February 27th, 2024
- Exploring synergies between B- and T-cell vaccine approaches to optimize immune responses against HIVworkshop ... - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Is the 100-year old TB vaccine a new weapon against Alzheimers? - The Guardian - February 27th, 2024
- Immune system in the blood of Alzheimer's patients found to be epigenetically altered - News-Medical.Net - February 10th, 2024
- What impact does exercise have on your immune system? And how to stay well while cycling - BikeRadar - February 10th, 2024
- Had COVID recently? Here's what to know about how long immunity lasts, long COVID, and more - AAMC - February 10th, 2024
- Noor Momin harnesses the immune system to treat heart disease | Penn Today - Penn Today - February 10th, 2024
- Research reveals a process tumors use to induce immune suppressor cells and evade immunotherapy - Medical Xpress - February 10th, 2024
- Immune targeting of HIV-1 reservoir cells: a path to elimination strategies and cure - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- Preventing severe allergic reactions with nanoparticles - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - February 10th, 2024
- Sugary handshakes are how cells talk to each other understanding these name tags can clarify how the immune ... - The Conversation Indonesia - February 10th, 2024
- Scientists have identified an immune cell that can cause allergies - EL PAS USA - February 10th, 2024
- Sickle cell and the importance of the immune system - Punch Newspapers - February 10th, 2024
- Which cancers can be treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors? - MD Anderson Cancer Center - February 10th, 2024
- How does waste leave the brain? Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - February 10th, 2024
- Healthy Kids: Give your immune system a boost to stay healthy this winter - nbc16.com - February 10th, 2024
- The impact of prior exposure to hypoglycaemia on the inflammatory response to a subsequent hypoglycaemic episode ... - Cardiovascular Diabetology - February 10th, 2024
- Impact of Chronic Stress on Immune System and Depression | Health News - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- I tried 'swamp soup,' the viral recipe that promises to boost your immune system - Yahoo News - February 10th, 2024
- Understanding Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Therapy: Challenges and Strategies - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- One Simple Change May Dramatically Boost The Effect of COVID-19 Vaccines - ScienceAlert - February 10th, 2024
- The gut virome is associated with stress-induced changes in behaviour and immune responses in mice - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- Cancer vaccines are in the works to fight BRCA-linked gene mutations - The Philadelphia Inquirer - February 10th, 2024
- What are the organs of the immune system? - InformedHealth.org - NCBI ... - January 17th, 2024
- Novel insights into the immune response to bacterial T cell superantigens - Nature.com - January 17th, 2024
- FDA signs off on Takeda's HyQvia as maintenance therapy for CIDP - FiercePharma - January 17th, 2024
- CBDs Pobezinsky and Pobezinskaya Use Flow Cytometry to Determine How Tumor Cells Outwit the Bodys Immune ... - UMass News and Media Relations - January 17th, 2024
- Boosting. What To Do. - Science Based Medicine - January 17th, 2024
- Axelia Oncology takes its TLR2/6 agonist into the clinic to harness the innate immune system - BioWorld Online - January 17th, 2024
- Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to ... - Nature.com - January 17th, 2024
- Opinion | Thanks to mRNA, Future Drugs Will Be Easier and Faster to Make - Mississippi Free Press - January 17th, 2024
- Elon research team models the COVID immune response, one equation at a time - Today at Elon - January 17th, 2024
- Are plant-based meals good for your immune system? 4 things to know about improving your health this week. - Yahoo Life - January 17th, 2024
- Scientists Find Key To Potential Breast Cancer Prevention, Treatment | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine - January 17th, 2024
- What if every germ hit you at the exact same time? An immunologist explains - The Conversation - January 17th, 2024
- Why Don't We Have a Staph Vaccine? - Healthnews.com - January 17th, 2024
- Best ways to improve your immune system - The Business Standard - January 17th, 2024
- Stanford University researchers think future pandemics could be prevented with universal vaccines - KGO-TV - January 17th, 2024
- Why you may feel depressed and anxious when you're ill and how to cope with it - The Conversation - January 17th, 2024
- New mechanism with potential to boost checkpoint-blocking cancer immunotherapies identified - Medical Xpress - January 17th, 2024
- Battling Bugs and Blues: The Interplay of Infection and Emotion - News-Medical.Net - January 17th, 2024
- What if every germ hit you at the exact same time? - RTE.ie - January 17th, 2024
- Evolutionary conservation of CD4 and LAG-3 and their cytoplasmic tail motifs with opposing immune functions - Medical Xpress - January 17th, 2024
- Probiotics and yogurt vs. depression ... and the winner is? - The Union Leader - December 30th, 2023
- Which Vitamins Boost The Immune System? - MSN - December 30th, 2023
- Opinion | We Need a Global Immune System to Stop Future Public Health Crises - The New York Times - December 30th, 2023
- Understanding the Immune System and How to Support It | Health News - Medriva - December 30th, 2023
- Seven of the biggest medical breakthroughs in 2023 | South Central Illinois' News, Sports and Weather Station - WJBD News - Salem, Illinois - December 30th, 2023
- Understanding the Dynamics of Innate Immune System in SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Its Potential for Treatment - Medriva - December 30th, 2023
- Resolvins: Firefighters In The Battle Against Chronic Inflammation - Forbes - December 30th, 2023
- Does Taking Vitamin D Supplements Reduce Severity Of COVID-19? - MSN - December 30th, 2023
- Study Reveals Variations in CNS-Associated Macrophages: Implications for Aging and Disease - Medriva - December 30th, 2023
- What are the benefits of zinc and when should you take supplements? - HOLA! USA - December 30th, 2023
- Elle's immune system is so severely compromised she has to live in a bubble with her 'bubble mummy' - ABC News - December 22nd, 2023