Results from a clinical trial showed that a new experimental pancreatic cancer vaccine successfully stimulated an immune response in 98.9% of patients whose response could be evaluated, boosting hopes for developing treatments targeting genetic mutations associated with tumor growth and recurrence after treatment.
The scientific website ScienceAlert reported on Friday that results from the trial, led by researchers including oncologist Ben George at the US Mayo Clinic and published in the journal Nature Medicine on October 23, showed the vaccine, known as Camupepimut, can stimulate immune T-cells to recognize and attack mutations in the KRAS gene.
Trial Details and Results
The vaccine was designed to target seven common types of mutations in the KRAS gene, which has variations in about 90% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer, as these mutations contribute to the growth and persistence of cancer cells.
The randomized Phase II clinical trial included 144 patients with pancreatic cancer associated with mutations in this gene, who had previously undergone surgery and chemotherapy, and showed no visible signs of cancer at the start of the study. Ninety-six of them received the vaccine, while the control group comprised 48 patients.
Limited Statistical Efficacy
Among the 90 patients who received the vaccine and whose immune response could be evaluated, 89 patients, equivalent to 98.9%, showed an increase in T-cell response to the targeted mutations, with more than 80% of them showing a response exceeding nine times their pre-vaccine levels.
Despite this immune response, the trial recorded no statistically significant difference in the median disease-free survival time between the group that received the vaccine and the control group, meaning the results do not yet prove the vaccine's ability to prevent tumor recurrence or extend patients' lives.
Next Steps
Researchers intend to move to a Phase III clinical trial to study the vaccine's efficacy more broadly, while exploring the addition of booster doses and the possibility of combining it with other cancer treatments.
The results indicate the potential to harness the immune system to target genetic mutations in cancer cells, but proving the vaccine's therapeutic benefit requires further studies and clinical trials.
Pancreatic cancer is a disease that arises from the abnormal growth of cells in the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach that contributes to food digestion and blood sugar regulation. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is its most common type.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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