Next-generation vaccines for glioblastoma show promise

Next-generation vaccines for glioblastoma show promise

IN THE NEWS: Glioblastoma is the most aggressive type of brain cancer, primarily affecting older adults. It is also the most lethal. Despite aggressive treatments such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, the median survival rate for the 13,000 people diagnosed each year is a dismal 16 months.

This has led scientists to explore the potential of therapeutic vaccines to stimulate the body's immune system to fight the cancer cells.

Nationally regarded UCI Health neuro-oncologistDaniela A. Bota, MD, PhD, reviewed existing glioblastoma vaccine research in a recent editorial for the journal Oncotarget.

"Vaccines have been considered a promising approach for GBM for many years," say Bota and co-author Robert O. Dillman, MD, chief medical officer of AIVITA Biomedical Inc. "In the past two years, two additional promising vaccine candidates have emerged, both of which were highlighted at the 5th Glioblastoma Vaccine Summit held in Boston in March 2024."

The first vaccine is SurVaxM, a peptide vaccine that targets a protein called survivin found in glioblastoma cells but rarely in healthy ones. Combining survivin with other components has the potential to boost the patient's immune response.

The second, AIVITA's AV-GBM-1, uses the patient's own immune cells incubated with treated tumor tissue to create a unique antigen to fight the cancer.

While both hold promise, the researchers caution that large, randomized clinical trials are needed to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from the vaccines, as well as to confirm their effectiveness and safety.

Bota, a neuro-oncologist with the UCI Health Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program, is a professor and vice dean for clinical research at the UC Irvine School of Medicine and director of the UCI Alpha Clinic, the clinical arm of the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. Her research is focused on innovative treatments for brain malignancies. She is a principal investigator for numerous studies, including novel stem-cell targeted chemotherapy agents, cellular immunotherapy studies and wearable devices.

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