PB, I put this in the Techniclone stream and I guess most read that, but thought I'd put it here too in case others don't see it. Since it is a significant competitive threat to IDEC approaches to lymphoma, I thought people would be interested. I sure am. And right here in my own back yard. What do you think?
The Malaghan Institute in Wellington, New Zealand was reported yesterday in the Sunday Star Times 8 March edition as having ethical approval to try a vaccine on between 10 and 24 low grade Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma patients.
They recently had success on humans with a melanoma vaccine.
They will take blood from the patients, modify it and reinject it to stimulate the immune system against the disease. They would do this in six to eight weeks. Four treatments, a month apart. So far they have done mouse experiments which have given good results with no side effects evident. "That makes us hopeful but we don't want to be overly
optimistic. The worst case scenario is nothing will happen, which I think is unlikely and the best outcome is that it rids these patients of cancer. But we just don't know", said Dr Ritchie, researcher. Then he made a NZ sporting analogy, "It's a bit like practising for a rugby game - we've been in the lab making sure we can reproduce the vaccine
for clinical application - but we just won't know how we'll go until we get on the field and play the game."
"We hope to keep getting patients referred and in 12 - 18 months we might have enough data to draw conclusions," said Dr Ritchie. "Patients and their families have high expectations and I am frightened of disappointing them" he said. The vaccine will work by altering dentritic cells - a specialized form of blood cells. They are taken from the patient and grown in large numbers before they are stimulated with an antigen which encourages the body to produce these disease fighting antibodies. When the new antigen-armed cells are returned to the patient, the immune system recognizes the antigen as something which should be eradicated. If enough cells go, so does the cancer.
So, how about that? No more Tumor Necrosis Therapy needed. No more
vasopermeation needed. No more cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin, prednisone, high energy xrays. No Oncolymn, Bexxar, Rituxan or Yttrium 90. Just a little jab with your own blood.
Doesn't that make sense? So quick, easy and harmless.
Anyone out there who can comment on this idea and the likelihood of success? What do you reckon Richard Harmon? Is it not unlikely that this procedure wouldn't have a negative impact on NHL cells? ;-]
Maurice
PS: Malaghan Director, Professor Graham Le Gros said that ethical approval had been given for Wellington patients to take part. "But now we know what to do, there's no reason other areas - funding and staff permitting - couldn't also do this," said Dr Ritchie. |
