This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Personalised vaccines show promise in skin cancer treatment
Researchers have reported that personalised vaccines have successfully treated melanoma patients in two small studies, marking a step towards personalised therapies.
A study, published in the journal Nature, used the unique differences in 19 patients’ cancers were to design vaccines to spur the immune system into action, looking for faulty molecules from patients’ tumours.
The first study, which included 13 patients who had stage III or IV melanoma, used a molecule called RNA and resulted in eight of the patients being disease free at the end of the follow up period of two years. The five remaining patients had relapsed between surgery and the start of the vaccination programme, with one responding well and remaining relapse-free for over two years, and another having a partial response.
The second study of six patients, each of whom received a series of seven vaccinations after their melanoma was removed surgically, resulted in four of the patients had stage III melanoma, and after the vaccination the disease had not recurred 25 months later. But the disease did recur in the other two patients with stage IV melanoma, though both responded to further treatment using the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab.
Dr Catherine Pickworth, science communication officer at Cancer Research UK, said: “The promising results show that personalised cancer vaccines designed to treat skin cancer are safe to use, and that for some patients, they can successfully harness the power of the body’s own immune system to kill cancer cells.”
Experts have warned that vaccines are some way off being used as a standard treatment.
Latest News
16/02/2024 - 12:56
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has created a new alliance intended to clean dirty air and improve residents' health.
16/02/2024 - 10:44
Two million more GP appointments a month are being delivered for patients compared to the same month before the pandemic as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan according to new NHS data.
15/02/2024 - 10:26
The Welsh Government has provided innovation funding of £380,000 to support two projects utilising technology in domiciliary care.
15/02/2024 - 10:13
The new Scottish health secretary has met with frontline staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
14/02/2024 - 10:27
The North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) has appointed three new Executive Directors to the Trust Board.
Product Features
UK Building Regulations highlight toxic gas and smoke from layers of paint built up over multiple redecorations as a major cause of permanent ill health or death in a building fire.
Their concern rose with discovery the flame retardant paints most widely used paint along escape routes have been ones which to this day counter-productively use emission of heavy toxic gas to smother flames which rapidly spread along walls if layers of paint delaminate in a fire.
Supplier Profiles
Northwich’s Victoria Infirmary (VIN) Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has enabled more patients
Adveco, the commercial hot water specialist, announces the launch of live metering of domestic ho
Latest Features
Sarah Greenslade, public affairs and communications officer at the British Parking Association looks at some of the problems and innovations in healthcare parking
It’s easy to assume that the comms team is there to handle press enquiries and the occasional social media storm – but the reality is that strategic communications can make a measurable impact across the entire organisation, from operational to financial, when done properly
