Cancer is a disease for which scientists have been working hard for a long time to find a cure, beyond the conventional ones, that can efficiently counteract its advance once it is detected in the affected area.
In this sense, a new article published in the journal Nature was recently released, revealing the favorable results achieved during a phase 1 human trial, who were given a novel vaccine created with the purpose of stimulating the human system. immune system of the patient to enhance their response to brain tumors.
In the end, the data obtained allowed us to deduce that the experimental vaccine turned out to be safe and generated a remarkable immune response that prevented the advance of the tumor.
The team in charge of the trial focused their work on diffuse gliomas, which are a type of brain cancer with effects that are difficult to treat and that can spread throughout the brain, making their removal difficult with traditional surgery. .
Furthermore, it is estimated that 70% of low-grade gliomas have a single genetic mutation as a result of their action on an enzyme called isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1).
It should be noted that this mutation leads to the generation of new proteins called neoepitopes. This mutation is what Michael Platten, a member of the German Cancer Research Center, has been trying to capitalize on for years in his attempt to create a vaccine that helps stimulate the immune system to attack these cells.
Finally, in 2015 the researchers made the decision to start human trials. The first thing they did was to check the safety of the vaccine when applied to them, as well as to determine the type of immune response that generated its effect.
As a result, the 33 recruited IDH1 glioma patients in whom the experimental vaccine was applied did not show serious side effects, thus revealing that it is a safe alternative. This, according to what was recently published as part of the phase 1 trial.
Regarding immune responses, the researchers determined that 93% of the patients had a favorable reaction after the application of the vaccine. The team also registered the presence of immune T cells that were destined to exert their action in the IDH1 mutation.
