Novel Vaccine for Lung Cancer Moves Into Phase I Clinical Trial
Posted: Wednesday, August 1, 2018
An innovative vaccine for patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is being developed in the UK. The stem cell–based immunotherapy treatment, known as AST-VAC2, is moving into a phase I clinical trial.
“Vaccines that boost the immune system to recognize and fight cancer could become a routine part of treatment for certain patients in the future,” shared Professor Christian Ottensmeier, MD, PhD, of Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicines Centre and lead investigator for the phase I trial, in a press release from Cancer Research UK.
The treatment uses dendritic cells (derived from a standardized line of human embryonic cells) that have been designed to produce a modified version of telomerase, an antigen usually found in high numbers in cancer cells. The presence of these dendritic cells will stimulate an immune system response against the antigen, thereby targeting the cancer cells. If AST-VAC2 proves to be safe and effective, researchers believe it may become a treatment option for patients with cancers other than NSCLC.
Previous therapies containing dendritic cells have used a patient’s own stem cells, but the slow development and high cost of those treatments have reduced their efficacy. By developing dendritic cells from a single stem cell source, Professor Ottensmeier and colleagues hope to improve the outcomes associated with cancer vaccines.
