In a study done at the Perelman School of Medicine, researchers report positive results from a cancer vaccine administered to ovarian cancer patients, and are prepared to move forward with further trials. The procedure involves creating a vaccine from a patient’s own immune cells, which mobilizes an attack on the cancer cells, creating a concentrated immune response.
The initial clinical trial tested the safety and feasibility of the procedure on 25 patients, and found the vaccine was well-tolerated. In addition to the positive safety result, doctors already found signs of the vaccine’s potential efficacy. According to lead study author Janos L. Tanyi, “The 2-year overall survival rate of these responder patients was 100 percent, whereas the rate for non-responders was just 25 percent.”
Harnessing the concentrated power of a patient’s own immune system is an ambitious next step in cancer research, essentially personalizing cancer treatment for individuals with a broader target response.
Read the full story at Penn Medicine News.
