Latest news with #ToniChoueiri
Associated Press
02-08-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
2025 Pan-Mass Challenge Draws Thousands of Cyclists to Fuel Next Era of Cancer Research
World's most successful athletic fundraiser aims to raise record $76 million BOSTON, Aug. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This weekend, the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) unites more than 6,500 riders and 3,500 volunteers for its 46th ride, with the common goal of raising $76 million to support lifesaving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Last year, the PMC raised a record $75 million and surpassed $1 billion in cumulative donations toward the fight against cancer since its founding in 1980. The PMC donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber, enabling doctors and researchers to make tangible progress towards cures and treatments for cancer. More than 160 Dana-Farber employees ride, fundraise, or volunteer in the event themselves, often to seed-fund their own work, having witnessed firsthand the impact PMC funding makes. Toni Choueiri, MD, Director Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Dana-Farber, an 8-year PMC rider who has raised nearly $700,000 for his groundbreaking work in genitourinary cancers, is advancing a promising new vaccine for stage III and IV kidney cancer, and Allison O'Neill, MD, Clinical Director, Solid Tumor Program, Dana-Farber, a 10-year rider, is preparing to launch an innovative immunotherapy clinical trial targeting pediatric solid tumors, both advancements made possible in part by PMC funding. 'As a 7-year rider, I've seen firsthand the passion, purpose, and power that fuel the PMC,' said Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber. 'The funds raised by this special community allow our researchers and clinicians to invest in research that is opening new frontiers in cancer treatment. I'm honored to ride alongside so many who are determined to make a difference, and I'm excited to see what we'll accomplish together on the road to the next billion.' PMC 2025 spans 14 routes across Massachusetts, ranging from 25 to 186 miles, designed to accommodate all cycling and fundraising levels. Many ride in honor of a loved one affected by cancer, and more than 1,100 participants are cancer survivors or current patients themselves, known as the PMC Living Proof® community. The PMC is the single most successful athletic fundraising event in the world and is Dana-Farber's single largest donor, accounting for 66 percent of the Jimmy Fund's annual revenue. 'For 46 years, the PMC has been defined by grit, generosity, and a relentless commitment to funding cancer breakthroughs,' said Billy Starr, founder and chairman of the PMC and a Dana-Farber trustee. 'We crossed the $1 billion threshold last year – and now we're focused on what's next. With the continued support of our riders, volunteers, donors and sponsors, I know this community will lead us toward our next billion and the next generation of progress.' The PMC is co-presented by the Red Sox Foundation® and M&T Bank. To support a rider or learn more, visit or call (800) WE-CYCLE. Connect with #PMC2025 on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. About the Pan-Mass Challenge: The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) is a bike-a-thon that today raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the world. The PMC was founded in 1980 by Billy Starr, who remains the event's founder & chairman, an annual cyclist, and a fundraiser. The PMC has since raised $1.047 billion for adult and pediatric patient care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The event donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause, generating 66 percent of the Jimmy Fund's annual revenue as Dana-Farber's single largest contributor. The PMC has successfully melded support from committed cyclists, volunteers, corporate sponsors, and individual donors, all of whom are essential to the PMC's goal and model: to attain maximum fundraising efficiency while increasing its annual gift. The PMC's hope and aspiration is to provide Dana-Farber's doctors and researchers with the necessary resources to discover cures for all cancers. For more information on the Pan-Mass Challenge, visit About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world's leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber's mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Dana-Farber provides the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 5 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care. As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials. About the Jimmy Fund The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children's Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped Dana-Farber save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, X, and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund. CONTACT: Emily Tosatti, 603-996-1952, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Pan-Mass Challenge
Associated Press
01-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Initial Data from the ARC-20 Study of Casdatifan Plus Cabozantinib Showed Nearly Half of Patients with Metastatic Kidney Cancer Had a Confirmed Response
HAYWARD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 1, 2025-- Arcus Biosciences, Inc. (NYSE:RCUS), a clinical-stage, global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing differentiated molecules and combination therapies for people with cancer, today presented the first data for casdatifan plus cabozantinib in an oral presentation by Dr. Toni K. Choueiri, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. 'I was very encouraged to see that nearly half of patients had a confirmed response to the casdatifan plus cabozantinib combination despite short follow-up,' said Toni K. Choueiri, M.D., director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary (GU) Oncology at Dana-Farber, the Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Chair and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and lead investigator of ARC-20. 'Casdatifan plus cabozantinib was well tolerated, and the safety profile was consistent with that of either agent alone, supporting their potential as a combination therapy. I look forward to enrolling patients into the PEAK-1 trial as soon as it is open.' 'The initial data for casdatifan plus cabozantinib in the ARC-20 study have already exceeded the historic benchmarks for either agent alone, as well as that of another HIF-2a inhibitor plus cabozantinib in the same second-line setting,' said Terry Rosen, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Arcus. 'These data serve as the proof of concept for PEAK-1, which will be initiated in the coming weeks and is designed to generate evidence to change the standard of care for people who have progressed on prior immunotherapy treatment.' ARC-20 is a Phase 1/1b dose-escalation and expansion study that includes a cohort evaluating once-daily 100mg of casdatifan plus 60mg of cabozantinib in patients with ccRCC who had progressed on prior immunotherapy. At the time of the data cutoff (DCO, March 14, 2025), 42 participants were evaluable for safety, and 24 reached at least 12 weeks of follow-up and were evaluable for efficacy. Among the safety-evaluable population (N=42), most participants (79%) had an International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk factor of intermediate or poor. Nearly half (46%) of the efficacy-evaluable population (N=24) achieved a confirmed response per RECIST 1.1, and only one patient had primary progressive disease. The vast majority of the efficacy-evaluable population remains on treatment. In the safety-evaluable population, no unexpected safety risks were identified at the time of DCO, and casdatifan plus cabozantinib had an acceptable safety profile with no meaningful overlapping toxicity for the two drugs. Only two patients discontinued any drug, and no patients discontinued treatment with both drugs. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) with casdatifan, particularly anemia and hypoxia, was similar to TEAEs observed with casdatifan monotherapy, and there were no casdatifan-related Grade 4 or 5 adverse events. The incidence of TEAEs associated with each drug was consistent with what is expected for each drug alone. A summary of the efficacy and safety results is below. Arcus is pursuing a broad development program in both the immuno-oncology (IO)-naive and post-IO settings with differentiated combinations to maximize the opportunity for casdatifan in ccRCC. These studies include: Investors may dial in to the conference call at +1 404 975 4839 (local) or +1 833 470 1428 (toll-free) using Conference ID: 446724 on Monday, June 2, 2025, at 5:00 AM PT / 7:00 AM CT. Participants may also register for the call online using the following link: To access the live webcast and accompanying slide presentation, please visit the 'Investors & Media' section of the Arcus Biosciences website at A replay will be available following the live event. About Casdatifan (AB521) Casdatifan is a small-molecule inhibitor of HIF-2a, a transcription factor responsible for activating multiple tumor growth pathways in hypoxic and pseudo-hypoxic tumor environments. By selectively binding HIF-2a, casdatifan is designed to shut down hypoxic oncogenesis and key oncogenic pathways, which leads to cancer cell death. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is almost universally associated with HIF-2a dysregulation. Casdatifan is currently being evaluated in ARC-20, a Phase 1/1b study in renal cell carcinoma. Casdatifan is an investigational molecule. Approval from any regulatory authority for its use has not been received, and its safety and efficacy have not been established. About RCC According to the American Cancer Society, kidney cancer is among the top 10 most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer among both men and women in the U.S., and an estimated 80,980 Americans will be diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2025. Clear cell RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. If detected in its early stages, the five-year survival rate for RCC is high; for patients with advanced or late-stage metastatic RCC, however, the five-year survival rate is only 18%. In 2022, approximately 32,200 patients with advanced kidney cancer required systemic therapy in the U.S., with over 20,000 patients receiving first-line treatment. About Arcus Biosciences Arcus Biosciences is a clinical-stage, global biopharmaceutical company developing differentiated molecules and combination therapies for people with cancer. In partnership with industry collaborators, patients and physicians around the world, Arcus is expediting the development of first- or best-in-class medicines against well-characterized biological targets and pathways and studying novel, biology-driven combinations that have the potential to help people with cancer live longer. Founded in 2015, the company has advanced multiple investigational medicines into registrational clinical trials including domvanalimab, an Fc-silent anti-TIGIT antibody being studied in combination with zimberelimab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, for upper gastrointestinal and non-small cell lung cancer, casdatifan, a HIF-2a inhibitor for clear cell renal cell carcinoma, and quemliclustat, a small-molecule CD73 inhibitor for pancreatic cancer. For more information about Arcus Biosciences' clinical and preclinical programs, please visit Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements regarding events or results to occur in the future contained herein are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, the statements in Dr. Choueiri's and Dr. Rosen's quotes and statements regarding: the potency, efficacy or safety of casdatifan, including its potential for a best-in-class profile and potential as a combination therapy; and Arcus's development plans for the casdatifan program, including expected timing and design for new studies and cohorts and plans for generating data to support initiation of future studies. All forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Arcus's actual results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to risks associated with: interim data not being replicated in future studies evaluating the same investigational molecules or regimen; the unexpected emergence of adverse events or other undesirable side effects with casdatifan; risks associated with manufacturing or supplying product for such clinical trials; uncertainties in timelines associated with the conduct of clinical studies and with respect to the regulatory application process; difficulties associated with the management of the collaboration activities with our strategic partners or expanded clinical programs; changes in the competitive landscape for Arcus's programs; and the inherent uncertainty associated with pharmaceutical product development and clinical trials. Risks and uncertainties facing Arcus are described more fully in the 'Risk Factors' section of Arcus's most recent periodic report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Arcus disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, supplement or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release except to the extent required by law. The Arcus name and logo are trademarks of Arcus Biosciences, Inc. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. View source version on CONTACT: Investor Inquiries: Pia Eaves VP of Investor Relations & Strategy (617) 459-2006 [email protected] Inquiries: Holli Kolkey VP of Corporate Affairs (650) 922-1269 [email protected] Bassiri AD, Corporate Communications (510) 406-8520 [email protected] KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ONCOLOGY HEALTH CLINICAL TRIALS RESEARCH SCIENCE PHARMACEUTICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Arcus Biosciences Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/01/2025 10:45 AM/DISC: 06/01/2025 10:46 AM
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cancer vaccine shows promising results for certain patients
There could be new hope on the horizon for kidney cancer patients in the form of an experimental vaccine. Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Yale Cancer Center and other universities have announced early findings from a study of an anti-tumor vaccine for patients with advanced kidney cancer. "Patients with stage 3 or 4 kidney cancer are at high risk of recurrence," said co-senior author and co-principal investigator Toni Choueiri, MD, director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Cancer at Dana-Farber, in a press release. Disease Starts On Your Plate, Cardiologist Says — Here's What To Change "The tools we have to lower that risk are not perfect, and we are relentlessly looking for more." After undergoing surgery to remove a malignant tumor, the study's nine participants received a cancer vaccine that was intended to "train" their immune systems to identify and attack any lingering cancer cells, according to the press release. Read On The Fox News App Each vaccine was personalized to match the individual patient's tumor type based on cancer cells that were removed during surgery. These cells contain "neoantigens," which are "tiny fragments of mutant proteins," the release stated. The researchers used "predictive algorithms" to determine which neoantigens should be included in the vaccine to provide the highest level of immunity. Prostate Cancer Cases Spike In This Us State As Doctors Share Likely Reason Five of the patients also received ipilimumab, a type of immunotherapy drug. All nine patients showed a "successful anti-cancer immune response" after getting the vaccine. After an average of 34.7 months, they all remained cancer-free. Within three weeks of receiving the vaccine, patients showed an "immune response," with T-cells spiking by more than 166 times, the release said. (T-cells, also known as T lymphocytes, are immune cells that help to fight cancer and prevent infection.) In the study, the T cells were found to remain in the patient's body for up to three years and attacked the existing tumor cells. "We observed a rapid, substantial, and durable expansion of new T cell clones related to the vaccine," said Patrick Ott, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Cancer Vaccines at Dana-Farber. "These results support the feasibility of creating a highly immunogenic personalized neoantigen vaccine in a lower mutation burden tumor and are encouraging, though larger-scale studies will be required to fully understand the clinical efficacy of this approach." The results of the clinical trial were reported in the journal Nature on Feb. 5. "We're very excited about these results, which show such a positive response in all nine patients with kidney cancer," Choueiri noted. For most stage 3 or 4 kidney cancer patients, the standard treatment is surgical removal of the tumor, which is often followed by an immunotherapy drug called Pembrolizumab (Keytruda). Common Cancer Type Could Be Detected With New Blood Test "Pembrolizumab induces an immune response that reduces the risk of the cancer coming back," according to Dana-Farber. "However, about two-thirds of patients can still recur and have limited treatment options." First author David A. Braun, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and physician-scientist at Yale Cancer Center and Yale School of Medicine, noted that the approach used in this study was "truly distinct from vaccine attempts in kidney cancer." "We pick targets that are unique to the cancer and different from any normal part of the body, so the immune system can be effectively 'steered' toward the cancer in a very specific way," Braun said in the release. "We learned which specific targets in the cancer are most susceptible to immune attack and demonstrated that this approach can generate long-lasting immune responses, directing the immune system to recognize cancer. We believe this work can form a foundation for the development of neoantigen vaccines in kidney cancer." Charles Nguyen, MD, a medical oncologist who specializes in kidney cancer at City of Hope in Orange County, California, noted that kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers among men and women in the U.S. "Patients with early stage (localized) kidney cancer are often first treated with surgery to remove the tumor — however, many patients have a risk of the cancer coming back years after surgery, and there is a great interest in finding ways to lower the risk of cancer recurrence," Nguyen, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "This exciting clinical trial evaluated a personalized cancer vaccine that uses genetic information from each patient's cancer to train and enhance the patient's immune system to recognize the cancer and prevent it from recurring." While Nguyen acknowledged that this was a small study, all nine patients who received the vaccine were cancer-free even three years later. "This is a very exciting and promising tool for many of our patients with kidney cancer, where we can one day make a cure possible for all." Some patients did experience side effects from the vaccine, including local reactions at the vaccine injection site and flu-like symptoms, although "no higher-grade side effects were reported." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter The researchers also acknowledged that there were some limitations associated with the study. "There were limitations in the antigen-prediction tools available at the time and in the ability to target only a single antigen," they wrote. "Moreover, it was conducted in the setting of active metastatic disease in a number of study participants." Future research with larger clinical trials are planned to confirm the vaccine's effectiveness and full potential, the release stated. For more Health articles, visit Funding for this study was provided by the Gateway for Cancer Research, the U.S. Department of Defense, Yale Cancer Center, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Trust Family Foundation, Michael Brigham, Pan-Mass Challenge, Hinda L. and Arthur Marcus Foundation, The Loker Pinard Fund for Kidney Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Conquer Cancer Foundation/Sontag Foundation, the release article source: Cancer vaccine shows promising results for certain patients
Fox News
12-02-2025
- Health
- Fox News
New cancer vaccine shows promising results for certain patients
There could be new hope on the horizon for kidney cancer patients in the form of an experimental vaccine. Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Yale Cancer Center and other universities have announced early findings from a study of an anti-tumor vaccine for patients with advanced kidney cancer. "Patients with stage 3 or 4 kidney cancer are at high risk of recurrence," said co-senior author and co-principal investigator Toni Choueiri, MD, director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Cancer at Dana-Farber, in a press release. "The tools we have to lower that risk are not perfect, and we are relentlessly looking for more." After undergoing surgery to remove a malignant tumor, the study's nine participants received a cancer vaccine that was intended to "train" their immune systems to identify and attack any lingering cancer cells, according to the press release. Each vaccine was personalized to match the individual patient's tumor type based on cancer cells that were removed during surgery. These cells contain "neoantigens," which are "tiny fragments of mutant proteins," the release stated. The researchers used "predictive algorithms" to determine which neoantigens should be included in the vaccine to provide the highest level of immunity. Five of the patients also received ipilimumab, a type of immunotherapy drug. All nine patients showed a "successful anti-cancer immune response" after getting the vaccine. After an average of 34.7 months, they all remained cancer-free. Within three weeks of receiving the vaccine, patients showed an "immune response," with T-cells spiking by more than 166 times, the release said. (T-cells, also known as T lymphocytes, are immune cells that help to fight cancer and prevent infection.) "The tools we have to lower that risk are not perfect and we are relentlessly looking for more." In the study, the T cells were found to remain in the patient's body for up to three years and attacked the existing tumor cells. "We observed a rapid, substantial, and durable expansion of new T cell clones related to the vaccine," said Patrick Ott, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Cancer Vaccines at Dana-Farber. "These results support the feasibility of creating a highly immunogenic personalized neoantigen vaccine in a lower mutation burden tumor and are encouraging, though larger-scale studies will be required to fully understand the clinical efficacy of this approach." The results of the clinical trial were reported in the journal Nature on Feb. 5. "We're very excited about these results, which show such a positive response in all nine patients with kidney cancer," Choueiri noted. For most stage 3 or 4 kidney cancer patients, the standard treatment is surgical removal of the tumor, which is often followed by an immunotherapy drug called Pembrolizumab (Keytruda). "Pembrolizumab induces an immune response that reduces the risk of the cancer coming back," according to Dana-Farber. "However, about two-thirds of patients can still recur and have limited treatment options." First author David A. Braun, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and physician-scientist at Yale Cancer Center and Yale School of Medicine, noted that the approach used in this study was "truly distinct from vaccine attempts in kidney cancer." "We pick targets that are unique to the cancer and different from any normal part of the body, so the immune system can be effectively 'steered' toward the cancer in a very specific way," Braun said in the release. "We learned which specific targets in the cancer are most susceptible to immune attack and demonstrated that this approach can generate long-lasting immune responses, directing the immune system to recognize cancer. We believe this work can form a foundation for the development of neoantigen vaccines in kidney cancer." Charles Nguyen, MD, a medical oncologist who specializes in kidney cancer at City of Hope in Orange County, California, noted that kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers among men and women in the U.S. "This is a very exciting and promising tool for many of our patients with kidney cancer, where we can one day make a cure possible for all." "Patients with early stage (localized) kidney cancer are often first treated with surgery to remove the tumor — however, many patients have a risk of the cancer coming back years after surgery, and there is a great interest in finding ways to lower the risk of cancer recurrence," Nguyen, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "This exciting clinical trial evaluated a personalized cancer vaccine that uses genetic information from each patient's cancer to train and enhance the patient's immune system to recognize the cancer and prevent it from recurring." While Nguyen acknowledged that this was a small study, all nine patients who received the vaccine were cancer-free even three years later. "This is a very exciting and promising tool for many of our patients with kidney cancer, where we can one day make a cure possible for all." Some patients did experience side effects from the vaccine, including local reactions at the vaccine injection site and flu-like symptoms, although "no higher-grade side effects were reported." The researchers also acknowledged that there were some limitations associated with the study. "There were limitations in the antigen-prediction tools available at the time and in the ability to target only a single antigen," they wrote. "Moreover, it was conducted in the setting of active metastatic disease in a number of study participants." Future research with larger clinical trials are planned to confirm the vaccine's effectiveness and full potential, the release stated. For more Health articles, visit Funding for this study was provided by the Gateway for Cancer Research, the U.S. Department of Defense, Yale Cancer Center, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Trust Family Foundation, Michael Brigham, Pan-Mass Challenge, Hinda L. and Arthur Marcus Foundation, The Loker Pinard Fund for Kidney Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Conquer Cancer Foundation/Sontag Foundation, the release stated.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Personalized vaccine offers hope for patients with late-stage kidney cancer, clinical trial shows
Cancer researchers are one step closer to developing an effective vaccine to treat people with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common type of kidney cancer among adults. In an early-stage clinical trial led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, a personalized vaccine prompted an anti-cancer immune response in all nine participants. These patients had been diagnosed with advanced disease and were given the vaccine after their tumors had been surgically removed. All remained cancer-free after a median follow-up period of just under three years. The trial results were published Feb. 5 in the journal Nature. 'Patients with Stage 3 or 4 kidney cancer are at high risk of recurrence,' Dr. Toni Choueiri, director of Dana-Farber's Lank Center for Genitourinary Cancer, said in a news release about the research. 'The tools we have to lower that risk are not perfect and we are relentlessly looking for more.' Tumor removal is the current standard of late-stage ccRCC treatment. In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an immunotherapy manufactured by Fortune 500 firm Merck, for post-surgical use in people with kidney cancer. While Keytruda may help lower a person's risk of cancer recurrence, it doesn't work for all patients. Trial researchers, in a sense, manipulated each patient's cancer in an attempt to prevent it from coming back. That is, they fashioned personalized vaccines using the very fabric of the tumors that had been removed. From the tumor tissue, researchers extracted neoantigens, which are bits of mutated proteins unique to cancer cells. Predictive algorithms helped the team gauge which neoantigens might elicit an immune response and should therefore be included in the vaccine. Dana-Farber has dubbed this biotechnology, which trains the immune system to destroy any remaining cancer cells, NeoVax. Previous research has shown NeoVax to be potentially effective in treating melanoma. This form of skin cancer has more mutations than ccRCC, meaning it offers physician-scientists more neoantigens to draw from. That NeoVax appears promising in the treatment of kidney cancer is a win, researchers said. 'This approach is truly distinct from vaccine attempts in kidney cancer,' study coauthor Dr. David Braun, formerly of Dana-Farber and now a medical oncologist at Yale Cancer Center, said in the news release. 'We pick targets that are unique to the cancer and different from any normal part of the body, so the immune system can be effectively 'steered' toward the cancer in a very specific way. 'We learned which specific targets in the cancer are most susceptible to immune attack and demonstrated that this approach can generate long-lasting immune responses, directing the immune system to recognize cancer. We believe this work can form a foundation for the development of neoantigen vaccines in kidney cancer.' Braun and Choueiri administered personalized vaccines to the nine trial patients, five of whom also received Yervoy (ipilimumab), an immunotherapy made by Fortune 500 company Bristol-Myers Squibb. Within three weeks, the vaccine triggered a promising immune response. 'We observed a rapid, substantial, and durable expansion of new T-cell clones related to the vaccine,' Dr. Patrick Ott, director of Dana-Farber's Center for Cancer Vaccines, said in the news release. T cells are a type of white blood cell critical to the immune system. Ott added that while the results are encouraging, 'larger-scale studies will be required to fully understand the clinical efficacy of this approach.' In the meantime, Choueiri is involved in a mid-stage Merck-led trial, in which nearly 300 patients with kidney cancer are being given Keytruda and either a placebo or a personalized immunization similar to NeoVax. For more on cancer: Just one alcoholic drink a day can increase your risk of cancer. But most Americans don't know the dangers, new survey says A 5-minute test can estimate your odds of developing breast cancer—but not if you're biracial Merck-AstraZeneca breast cancer drug reduces risk of death by 28% in patients diagnosed early, clinical trial shows Women get dismissed by doctors—and it's led to devastating consequences for cancer, says the OB/GYN Olivia Munn credits with saving her life Virtual colonoscopy lets you skip the scope. Here's what to know about the colorectal cancer screening Mark Cuban says saves time and money This story was originally featured on
