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Experimental Cancer Vaccine Keeps Certain Cancers at Bay
16 Aug
Summary
- Vaccine tested on 25 patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancer
- Majority of patients generated KRAS-specific T cells, indicating stronger immune response
- Vaccine appeared to remove all disease biomarkers in 6 patients
In a significant development, an experimental cancer vaccine has demonstrated the ability to prevent the recurrence of certain types of cancer. The vaccine, known as ELI-002 2P, was tested in a phase 1 clinical trial led by researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The trial involved 25 patients who had been treated for pancreatic and colorectal cancer. These patients had undergone surgery to remove their tumors and were at a high risk of the cancer returning, as indicated by the presence of minimal residual disease. More than 80% of pancreatic cancer patients typically experience a recurrence after surgery, often within the first year.
The vaccine, which targets the KRAS gene mutations responsible for a significant portion of colorectal and pancreatic cancers, was administered to the patients via a series of injections. The goal was to activate an immune response in the lymph nodes, enabling the body to recognize and fight the cancer-driving mutations.
The results were promising, with a majority of the patients (21 out of 25) generating KRAS-specific T cells, indicating a stronger immune response. Notably, three colorectal cancer patients and three pancreatic cancer patients showed a complete removal of all disease biomarkers after receiving the vaccine. Among the patients with the strongest immune responses, the majority remained cancer-free for nearly 20 months.
"This is an exciting advance for patients with KRAS-driven cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer, where recurrence after standard treatment is almost a given and effective therapies are limited," said Dr. Zev Wainberg, the first author of the study and a professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
The researchers also found that 67% of the patients in the trial showed immune responses to additional tumor-associated mutations, suggesting that the vaccine could be used to suppress broader anti-tumor activity.
The promising results of this phase 1 trial have paved the way for a phase 2 study, which is currently underway to test the next iteration of the vaccine, ELI-002 7P, that targets a broader set of KRAS mutations.
