Researchers Have Breakthrough in Development of Mesothelioma Vaccine

Researchers in the Netherlands, using a special type of cell known as a dendritic cell that is a key regulator in the immune system, have created an immunotherapy treatment against mesothelioma. They hope the research will one day lead to a vaccine for people who have been exposed to asbestos to help prevent asbestos-related diseases.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer typically affecting the lining of the lungs. Primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after exposure. The latency period can be as long as 50 years.

Immunotherapy uses the body’s own immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. The aim of immunotherapy is to harness the strength of the immune system in a specifically focused attack on cancer cells, while avoiding the broader toxic effects of chemotherapy.

The researchers tested the vaccine on 10 patients achieving 80 percent effectiveness. The results generated an immune T-cell response against the mesothelioma tumors. T-cells assist other white blood cells in immunologic processes. Treatment is a series of three vaccinations given over a two week period after receiving chemotherapy.

“This is the first human study on dendritic cell-based immunotherapy in patients with mesothelioma,” said Dr. Joachim Aerts, a pulmonary physician at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands and lead author of a study published online in the American Thoracic Society’s Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

While the size of the study was small, the researchers said the results suggest that selected patients may benefit from dendritic cell immunotherapy without major adverse effects.