Mesothelioma Cancer & Lung Disease

Researchers have tested a potential vaccine to treat mesothelioma, a rare cancer predominantly caused by asbestos inhalation. The vaccine, was found to induce a T-cell response against mesothelioma tumors by infusing dendritic cells (DC) with antigen. Mesothelioma – still on the rise and expected to continue until 2020 has sparked considerable interest such as’ immunotherapy’ treatment ( uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells).

This T cell (blue), one of the immune system’s principal means of defense, identifies the molecular signature of a dendritic cell (gray) at a contact point

The study – carried out by Joachim G Aerts M.D., Ph.D., pulmonary physician, Erasmus Medical Centre Netherlands, was a first of its kind involving DC-based immunotherapy in human patients with mesothelioma, and was previously demonstrated in mice with promising results.

Dr. Aerts and colleagues recruited ten recently diagnosed patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (epithelial subtype). Dendtritic cells were cultured from the patient’s blood and the DC exposed to the antigen (produced by the patients’ tumours) The dendritic cells – once matured, were injected back into the patients in 3 doses over a 2 week period.  The activated cells are reintroduced into the body, find their way to a lymph node and interact with T-cells to induce an anti-tumour response

Serum samples were then taken from patients which presented in a significant increase of antibodies. 4 patients showed a clear induction of cytotoxicity (toxic to cells) against their own tumours and another 3 patients showed signs of tumour reduction. Although tumour regression appeared after the vaccinations – the results could not be solely attributed to the vaccine.

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