New Cancer Vaccine is 100% Effective in Mice With Aggressive Melanoma

An experimental cancer vaccine plus immunotherapy ( Diprovocim) demonstrated a 100% survival rate in mice with melanoma, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  

The researchers tested the vaccine on mice with aggressive melanoma. All mice received anti-PD-L1 therapy and were divided into three group:  

1. some received the vaccine (n=8) 
2. some received the vaccine plus Diprovocim, which targets the innate immune receptor TLR1/TLR2 in mice and humans (n=8)  
3. and some received the vaccine plus an alternative adjuvant, alum (n=8) 

Among the mice who received the vaccine and Diprovocim, there was a 100 percent survival rate after 54 days. There was a zero percent survival rate in mice given only the cancer vaccine and a 25 percent survival rate in mice given the cancer vaccine with alum. When the researchers tried to re-establish the tumors in the mice who received the vaccine plus Diprovocim, it did not take. 

A New Cancer Vaccine Shown to Be 100% Effective in Mice With Aggressive Melanoma https://t.co/advMEjZSe8

— Pediatric Academic Societies (@PASMeeting) September 11, 2018

“This co-therapy produced a complete response—a curative response—in the treatment of melanoma,” said Dale Boger, PhD, co-leader of the study.  

The researchers noted that Diprovocim is easy to synthesize in the lab and easy to modify. In addition, the vaccine was not injected directly into the tumor, which the researchers called “encouraging.” 

A New Cancer Vaccine Shown to Be 100% Effective in Mice With Aggressive Melanoma https://t.co/pdZ3VgdxOi

— ScienceAlert (@ScienceAlert) September 11, 2018

The researchers plan to conduct more preclinical studies to assess the vaccine with other anti-cancer medications. 

Read more about a simple blood test for melanoma detection. 

Study identifies combination therapy for melanoma-related brain metastases. 

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences