They survive cancer longer

MADRID (EFE).— An experimental therapeutic vaccine, called ELI-002 2P, could help prolong long-term, relapse-free survival in patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancer, according to a study published in the journal “Nature Medicine.”

Unlike other immunotherapies, this treatment is not personalized, but rather comprehensive. It is designed to encourage the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells with the KRAS mutation, which is common in both types of cancer.

The Phase 1 clinical trial involved 20 patients with pancreatic cancer and five with colorectal cancer. "All had completed standard treatment but still had residual signs of cancer in their blood," the publication details.

Researchers warn that "the relapse rates of these cancers are high, even after surgery and chemotherapy, especially when small remnants remain in the body."

The study was led by the University of California, Los Angeles.

“After a median follow-up of nearly 20 months, 68% of participants developed robust T cell responses against mutant KRAS tumor proteins,” the authors report.

“Patients with stronger T-cell responses lived longer and remained cancer-free longer than those with weaker responses,” reports Nature Medicine. For patients with pancreatic cancer, the median overall survival was nearly 29 months after vaccination, and the median recurrence-free survival was more than 15 months.

Scientists observed that, in some patients, the vaccine helped recognize not only the KRAS proteins included in the formula, but also other variants unique to the tumor.

“This suggests that ELI-002 2P can induce responses against personalized antigens,” they note.

The vaccine is currently undergoing further testing in a randomized Phase 2 trial. According to the publication, “a therapeutic approach based on off-the-shelf vaccines could generate durable and protective immune responses.”

At a glance

Experimental vaccine

ELI-002 2P is an investigational immunotherapy that targets KRAS-mutated cancer cells, with promising initial results in pancreatic and colorectal cancer.

In clinical trial

Initial trials in 25 patients showed strong immune responses and increased relapse-free survival, prompting progress to larger phases of the study.

Immune responses

The vaccine stimulated the production of tumor-specific T cells against KRAS proteins, which is associated with increased survival and freedom from cancer.

Move on to stage II

ELI-002 2P is now undergoing Phase 2 trials, seeking to confirm its efficacy and safety.