United States: A new type of vaccine, tailored for glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, has increased the survival time of four patients in its initial clinical trial.
The novel medicine functions by providing the immune system with a means of ‘identifying’ the tumor and a comprehensive transcriptome “how to handbook.” This shows the locations of all of the tumor’s genes that can be turned on or off.
Armed with this crucial knowledge, the immune system can rewire the cancer’s defenses and mount a more potent assault.
Four patients with glioblastoma that was resistant to treatment participated in the recent clinical trial and were given two or four doses of the vaccine. Significant and quick immunological activation was the outcome.
Researchers found a rise in pro-inflammatory proteins, which are known to attract lethal white blood cells to the area, just hours after the vaccinations were given.
Short-term immune response adverse effects, such as nausea, a low fever, and chills, were also associated with this early immune system boost. However, these side effects subsided over the following day or two.
“In less than 48 hours, we could see these tumors shifting from what we refer to as ‘cold’ – immune cold, very few immune cells, very silenced immune response – to ‘hot,’ very active immune response,” explains oncologist and pioneer of the vaccine research, Elias Sayour from the University of Florida.
“That was very surprising given how quick this happened, and what that told us is we were able to activate the early part of the immune system very rapidly against these cancers, and that’s critical to unlock the later effects of the immune response,” Sayour added.
In the past, individuals with glioblastoma treated with radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery may expect to live for a maximum of six months during which the disease would not advance.
One patient had progression-free survival for eight months and another for nine months after receiving this novel vaccine.
A third patient with recurrent glioblastoma survived for an additional nine months. For the fourth patient, who is enrolled in the first expanded phase 1 clinical trial, specific survival data has not yet been released. For recurrent glioblastoma, the median survival is typically five to eight months.
The encouraging outcomes expand on a prior study in which ten companion dogs with brain tumors were given the vaccination for testing. Dogs with this terminal diagnosis currently have a median survival rate of 35 days if they get no other treatment. After the vaccination, that figure increased to 139 days.
With a few significant exceptions, the innovative cancer vaccine is built on the same technology as the COVID-19 vaccinations.
Due to their strong immune system shielding, glioblastoma tumors are among the most difficult to cure. Tumor microenvironment (TME) cells are immune-suppressive, meaning that any attempt at attack results in their death.
By reprogramming the TME with a sample of the tumor, the novel vaccine functions. Researchers can “train” a patient’s killer immune cells to circumvent the tumor microenvironment (TME) by encapsulating the tumor’s messenger RNA in a vaccine that can be administered to the patient.
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