AI-Driven, Personalised Vaccine Shows Good Results In Treating Late-Stage Kidney Cancer: Nature Study
In the latest study, researchers found the main genetic mutations in renal cell cancer, possibly by using artificial intelligence (AI). The scientists injected mRNA vaccine made against proteins produced by these mutations in cancer.
In a small clinical trial involving nine patients with stage III and IV kidney cancer, a personalised anti-tumour vaccine has shown a strong immune response, according to an American study conducted by researchers at Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The vaccines are designed to train the body’s immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells to prevent relapse.
According to the study titled, “A neoantigen vaccine generates antitumour immunity in renal cell carcinoma" published in the medical journal Nature on February 5, the researchers have tested vaccines on patients with stage III or IV kidney cancer which has a “significant risk of recurrence". It reported a significant milestone as all nine patients had remained cancer-free for a median of 40 months after surgery.
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Both global and Indian experts have lauded the positive results of the phase one clinical trial study. “In this paper, researchers found the main genetic mutations (driver mutations) in renal cell cancer possibly using artificial intelligence(AI)," Dr Satya Prakash Yadav, director, of pediatric haematology-oncology and bone marrow transplant at Medanta Hospital told News18.
“Then they injected mRNA vaccine made against proteins produced by these mutations in cancer. Vaccines could kill cancer," he explained while adding that this could be possibly close to what Russia was claiming some months ago. The country was claiming that “it would make personalised cancer vaccines to protect its people from cancer, using AI."
Russia, in December, claimed to have achieved a major breakthrough in cancer treatment by developing a vaccine aimed at treating cancer patients. The announcement said that the country “has developed its own mRNA vaccine against cancer, it will be distributed to patients free of charge." However, they did not provide any data to back the announcement.
What does the trial show?
According to the latest study, the baseline characteristics of the study participants were typical for high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with 7 out of 9 patients with high-grade disease (grade 3) and 2 out of 9 patients with metastatic (stage IV) disease at the time of enrolment.
Under the trial, the vaccines were tailored for each patient using genetic material from their tumour to train the immune system to recognize and destroy the cancerous cells. To create this, the scientists extracted small pieces of mutant proteins, known as neoantigens, from each patient’s kidney tumour. These neoantigens are used as the tumour’s unique molecular signature, totally different from all other cells in the body.
Using predictive algorithms, the scientists determined the neoantigens that are most likely to trigger an immune response. This is how, the customized vaccine was developed and administered in an initial series of doses, followed by two booster shots. “For all nine patients who met the eligibility criteria for analyses, a personalised cancer vaccine (PCV) was successfully manufactured and administered," the study said.
The study explained that “the RCC tumours had a median of 45 high-quality coding mutations per sample. A median of 15 neoantigen-containing peptides were successfully synthesized, allocated to 1 out of 4 peptide pools and administered as peptide pools to each patient."
All patients, it said, “were vaccinated with at least one peptide that resulted from a frameshift insertion and deletion that led to novel open reading frames."
“Seven out of the nine patients were successfully vaccinated with a peptide that contained a neoantigen derived from a cancer driver mutation…. Five patients received the PCV with ipilimumab subcutaneously administered adjacent to the vaccination site, whereas the other patients received the vaccine alone."
Following vaccination, there was a durable expansion of “peripheral T cell clones," the researchers wrote in the study while adding that “T cell reactivity against autologous tumours was detected in seven out of nine patients."
“Our results demonstrate that neoantigen-targeting PCVs in high-risk RCC are highly immunogenic, capable of targeting key driver mutations and can induce antitumour immunity. These observations, in conjunction with the absence of recurrence in all nine vaccinated patients, highlight the promise of PCVs as effective adjuvant therapy in RCC."
May not treat all cancers
While any positive step in finding the cure against cancer seems like a huge success, however, experts believe that this method may not be suitable for all types of cancer.
“In recent years, remarkable progress has been achieved in cancer treatment, and this study is proof. Cancer cells have abnormal genetic makeup that enables them to evade detection by the immune system, allowing them to grow rapidly and uncontrollably," Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, convener, scientific committee and past president, India Medical Association (IMA), Cochin.
While explaining the mechanism of working of the potential vaccine, Jayadevan concluded by adding “This method is not suitable for all types of cancer." “We should not give false hope as, well," he concluded.
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