Researchers at Cork Cancer Research Centre have been working on DNA vaccines to activate the immune system against prostate cancer, which has proven successful in the laboratory and now advances towards human clinical trials. The research was published on Friday, February 5th, 2010 in the international journal, Genetic Vaccines and Therapy. Ireland has a higher incidence and death rate for prostate cancer than the UK, which continues to grow due to our ageing male population.
At present, localised prostate cancers are treated successfully with surgery and radiotherapy; however there are limited options for cures in secondary / metastatic prostate cancer. This is where the vaccines come in. The merit of the DNA vaccines is that, after treatment (usually surgery), they seek out any remaining cancerous cells that may have migrated to other parts of the body and destroy them.
Cork Cancer Research Centre has been working on immunological approaches that try to stimulate the ability of the immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells via selective killing mechanisms. Immunological therapies, especially vaccines, have been successfully applied in many infectious diseases. The development of immunotherapy in malignant diseases is an active area of research and has emerged as a possible therapeutic strategy for many cancers.
Every clinical investigator who has witnessed the remarkable success of some patients treated with immunotherapy is aware of the potential of this kind of treatment. However, the challenge for the clinician has been to identify the secondary cancerous cells and to find targets and mechanisms to deliver the immunotherapy. This is the problem that the scientists at Cork Cancer Research Centre have solved. They are now in talks with clinicians to move the research to the human clinical trial stage.
Prostate cancer is associated with high levels of certain antigens (e.g. PSA, PSMA-Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen) that are prostate specific and can be used as targets for developing immunological therapies. At Cork Cancer Research Centre scientists have been working on the development of a DNA vaccine for prostate specific antigens, with the aim of activating the immune system against prostate cancer. “To date, we have successfully developed prostate cancer specific vaccines, optimised vaccination doses, schedules and method of delivery at pre-clinical stage,” says Dr Mark Tangney, Principal Investigator of the research. “We have also shown that immune activation with DNA vaccines is safe,” he says.
The Centre is now researching the movement of the vaccine approach from pre-clinical into clinical application. “We are excited about the promise of this treatment strategy as the DNA vaccination strategy has the potential to be applied in clinical settings in combination with other available therapeutic options,” says Dr Tangney. The research was carried out by Dr Tangney and his colleague Dr Safraz Ahmad, who recently received an award from the IJMS Doctor Awards for his research in this area.
Prostate cancer is one of the principal medical problems facing the male population. In Ireland, approximately 1,900 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed each year and 700 patients die of the disease per year. Incidence and death rates for prostate cancer are higher in Ireland than in England, Scotland and Wales and a 275% increase in prostate cancer numbers is expected in Ireland between 2000 and 2020 due to the ageing of the population according to the National Cancer Registry of Ireland.
The Cork Cancer Research Centre (CCRC) is a multidisciplinary organisation that investigates major issues that concern the genesis, progression or treatment of cancer. Its purpose is to provide discovery and innovations that may be applied to the prevention of the cancer in the first place or to the development of more effective treatment strategies. It celebrated its 10th anniversary last October and the occasion has been marked by a presentation of its current research to leading scientists in the USA (including the co-founder of DNA, Dr James Watson from Cold Spring Harbour) and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Journal of Medical Science Doctor Awards in late November to the founder/director of the Centre, Professor Gerald O’Sullivan.
* * * * * * * * *
Genetic Vaccines and Therapy is an international, open access, peer-reviewed, online journal dedicated to applying new knowledge about genetics in treating human diseases. The journal is aimed at researchers, clinicians and biotechnologists, worldwide in the field of gene-based therapy and drug delivery. View www.gvt-journal.com
