Investigational Cancer Vaccine Shows Renewed Potential in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Researchers at UC Davis have found that the investigational cancer vaccine tecemotide, when administered with the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin, boosted immune response and reduced the number of tumors in mice with lung cancer. The study also found that radiation treatments did not significantly impair the immune response. The study by Kao et al was published in Cancer Immunology Research.
Although tecemotide has shown great potential at times, a recent phase III trial found no overall survival benefit for patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, further analysis showed that one group of patients, who received concurrent chemotherapy and radiation followed by tecemotide, did benefit from the vaccine. As a result, tecemotide’s manufacturer sponsored additional postclinical animal and human studies.
“There aren’t any good options for patients with inoperable stage III lung cancer following mainline chemotherapies,” said lead author Michael DeGregorio, PharmD, Professor of Medicine at UC Davis. “We are looking at tecemotide as a potential maintenance therapy to prolong survival and improve quality of life.”
Tecemotide activates an immune response by targeting the protein MUC1, which is often overexpressed in lung, breast, prostate, and other cancers. The vaccine stimulates production of interferon gamma and MUC1-targeted killer T lymphocytes, which seek out and destroy MUC1 cancer cells.
Study Details
The team, which included investigators from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Radiation Oncology, wanted to know if cisplatin/tecemotide treatments, along with radiation therapy, could boost the immune response and alter lung cancer’s trajectory, stabilizing the disease.
The researchers found that tecemotide increased interferon gamma levels and boosted the T-cell response to MUC1-expressing cancer cells. When administered on their own, both tecemotide and cisplatin reduced the number of lung tumors. However, combining these therapies enhanced their impact, suggesting that tecemotide may increase cisplatin’s anticancer activity.
Although radiation therapy did reduce the number of lymphocytes, it did not appear to hamper the immune response. In addition, interferon levels were found to be increased several hours after radiation treatments.
“Radiation may actually be helpful by exposing targets for the vaccine,” said Dr. DeGregorio.
Next Steps
While this study revives hope for tecemotide as a potential NSCLC therapy, there are still questions to be answered. Researchers need to further refine these therapies to determine which protocols provide the best survival benefits. In addition, tecemotide can only be effective if it does not exhaust the immune system in the process.
“We believe this vaccine could be coupled with standard treatments to create a maintenance therapy,” said Dr. DeGregorio. “If we can help patients with a life expectancy of 18 to 20 months increase that to 30 months or more, with a high quality of life, that’s a big benefit.”
Dr. DeGregorio is the corresponding author for the Cancer Immunology Research article.
This study was funded by a grant from Merck KGaA.
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.
