A personalized cancer vaccine has shown promising results in a small study of nine patients with advanced kidney cancer, according to a study published in the journal Nature.
The vaccine, developed by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, is designed to stimulate the immune system to attack any remaining cancer cells after surgery, reducing the risk of recurrence. The vaccine is tailored to each patient's individual tumor, using a process called neoantigen identification.
The study found that all nine patients remained cancer-free after three years of follow-up. The researchers say the findings are encouraging, but larger studies are needed to confirm the vaccine's effectiveness.
The vaccine is made from a patient's own tumor tissue, which is analyzed to identify specific mutated proteins called neoantigens. These neoantigens are unique to the patient's cancer and are not found in healthy cells. The vaccine is then designed to target these neoantigens, prompting the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
The study is the first to show that a personalized cancer vaccine can be effective in treating kidney cancer, a disease that has a high rate of recurrence. The researchers say the findings could lead to new treatment options for patients with advanced kidney cancer.