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2009-05-04 Czech: Anti-tumour vaccine based on immunity boosting

Intensive research on anti-cancer vaccine is being carried in Czech Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Motol. The project is currently at the stage of preclinical studies just at the application for entering clinical tests.
The vaccine could be applied against melanoma, leukemia, cancer of bowel and ovary.

The treatment should enable avoiding side effects of chemotherapy, making patient immune to tumour cells for one year since applied. The annual treatment containing two injections costs about 100thousands of CZK.

Vaccines are prepared individually for each patient on basis of his own cells. Specific type of cells are isolated from patient’s blood, and are consequently matured to the cell type able to efficiently recognize tumour (dendritic cells). Before administration to a patient the dendritic cells need be stimulated by parts of tumour cells and other activators. The vaccine restrains tumour cells from growth by means of immunity pathways.

Since development of the vaccine is complex and time consuming, only one could be generated per a week in a clinical-grade Cell Therapy unit of Motol Uniersity. Thus, around fifty vaccines could be produced a year.
However, according to prof. Jirina Bartunkova, head of the inventive Immunotherapy Group http://imunologie.lf2.cuni.cz/en/vyzkum.php?str=pracovni-skupiny#imunoterapie , actual stage of the project allows for production on a large scale. There have been negotiations carried between the laboratory and a biotechnological company that might continue with the manufacture.

The biology of dendritic cells and their application in treatment of cancer has been investigated for 10 years in the Institute of Immunology. The protocol for the vaccine has been developed in collaboration with other European laboratories.

Magdalena Zychlinska
Source: CeskeNoviny on basis of “Mlada fronta Dnes” and website of the Institute