2023-05-11 17:58:00
An experimental ribonucleic acid (RNA) vaccine – the same molecule as in vaccines against Covid-19– points the way for research against pancreatic ductile adinocarcinoma (PDAC), better known as pancreatic cancer.
The results of the clinical trial, which have been published in the journal Natureshow a substantial immune response and a potential delay in relapse in 8 of the 16 patients on whom the vaccine, called autogene cevumeran.
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Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States and seventh worldwide. This disease has a 12% survival rate and, despite the fact that chemotherapy after surgery helps delay relapse, almost 80% of patients return to this diagnosis at around 14 months.
THIS IS HOW PANCREATIC CANCER BEHAVES
The response rate of pancreatic cancer toMedications called checkpoint inhibitors (those that allow T cells to kill tumor cells) are less than 5%. That is, it is a type of cancer that does not respond effectively to treatments.
This is because PDACs have a low mutation rate that generates few neoantigens –new proteins that are produced when certain mutations appear in the DNA of a tumor-, which means that it has few infiltrating T cells, the ones in charge of recognize and destroy cancer cells.
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However, a parallel investigation has shown that most PDACs do in fact harbor more neoantigens of those previously detected. This means that they can be used as an object of therapies personalized vaccines that enhance T-cell activity and lead to improved outcomes.
WHAT RESULTS HAS THE EXPERIMENTAL VACCINE OBTAINED?
The test was carried out at 16 patients of pancreatic cancer, excluding from the sample those whose tumors were in a metastatic state. It should be noted that it is a personalized treatmentwith which for each patient individual vaccines of neoantigens ofmRNA (messenger rubonucleic acid).
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Autogene cevumeranwhich was supplied together with other treatments such as surgery and the chemotherapy, was tolerable and induced substantial responses in 8 of 16 patients. In addition, at 18-month follow-up, patients with vaccine-expanded T cells (responders) had a median survival free of recurrence longer compared with patients without vaccine-expanded T cells (13.4 months).
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The study also shows how, just as the mRNA-based experimental cancer vaccines that preceded SARS-CoV-2 were Key to accelerating pandemic vaccinesNow they have been able further accelerate manufacturing times for individualized cancer vaccines and allow for more rapid adjuvant treatment.
Thus, this new trial, which has obtained promising results, restores hope to patients and is a milestone in the fight against the deadliest cancer of allthat of pancreas.
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