Brain Tumor Vaccine Has Promising Results

U.S. cancer researchers say a vaccine for treating a recurrent brain cancer known as glioma has shown promising results in preliminary clinical trials.

Findings from the first group of six patients in the study — being conducted at the University of California-San Francisco’s Brain Tumor Research Center — involved vitespen (trademarked as Oncophage), a vaccine made from the patient’s own tumor.

The trial’s preliminary results indicate the vaccine was associated with tumor-specific immune response in patients with recurrent, high-grade glioma.

Glioma is a type of primary tumor that arises from the glial cells — the connective tissue cells that surround and support nerve cells. The most common site of involvement of a glioma is the brain. Malignant glioma is currently a fatal disease.

This is the first documentation of a glioma-specific immune response after vaccination with vitespen, said Dr. Andrew Parsa, assistant professor in the University of California-San Francisco Department of Neurological Surgery and principal investigator of the trial. Based on the preliminary findings, a larger phase 2 study is planned for 2007.

The trial results were presented last week in Orlando, Fla., during a meeting sponsored by the Society of Neuro-Oncology.