Overview

• The Phase I trial, conducted at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, tested a personalized cancer vaccine on nine patients with stage III or IV kidney cancer, all of whom remained cancer-free after a median follow-up of 34.7 months.
• The vaccine targets neoantigens—mutant proteins unique to cancer cells—using tumor samples from each patient to train their immune systems to recognize and attack the cancer.
• Patients experienced strong immune responses, with vaccine-induced T cells increasing 166-fold within three weeks and remaining active for up to three years.
• The treatment was well-tolerated, with only mild side effects such as injection site reactions and temporary flu-like symptoms, contrasting with more severe complications seen in current immunotherapies.
• Researchers are now conducting a larger international trial combining the vaccine with pembrolizumab to further test its effectiveness and safety before seeking FDA approval.