A groundbreaking cancer vaccine developed by a team at Yale University has shown remarkable success in putting nine patients into remission from kidney cancer. The study, which was conducted between March 2019 and September 2021, found that all patients were free from kidney cancer three years later.
The vaccine, designed to train the immune system to recognize specific mutations in a patient’s tumor, was tested on patients with stages three and four clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). This type of cancer is known to kill between 85-90% of patients. The vaccine was able to target only the cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.
In the study, all nine patients received seven doses of the vaccine, which was administered in two phases. Four patients received just the vaccine, while five others received small doses of the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab to evaluate its effectiveness on its own. The results showed that the immune system was able to recognize and respond to up to 65% of cancer-causing mutations in patients’ tumors.
The study’s lead investigator, Dr. David Braun, noted that the vaccine was able to generate a long-lasting, anti-cancer immune response. While trials with more patients are needed to confirm its efficacy, the early findings are encouraging for researchers and patients alike.
Kidney cancer is the seventh most common type of cancer among men in the US and tenth among women. The vaccine’s success offers new hope for patients diagnosed with late-stage ccRCC, who typically have only a 10-15% chance of survival after five years.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14430631/yale-doctor-cancer-vaccine-terminal-tumors-study.html