Guest Blog | How Research And Development Efforts Are Pushing For New Cancer Treatments

According to Cancer Research U.K., there were 359,960 new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2015, which breaks down to someone being diagnosed nearly every two minutes. These statistics are unsettling and, without a foolproof cure for all cancers, new treatments are being developed every single day.

While chemotherapy and radiation have become the standard for treating certain cancers, new research is proving alternative methods to be effective. Immunotherapy, a type of treatment that uses a patient's own immune system to fight off cancer cells, is one alternative method and is making strides toward successful remission. There are several types of therapies that fall under the category of immunotherapy, with research and development efforts occuring at facilities in the U.K. 

As these therapies reach more and more patients through clinical trials, the success of these treatments will hopefully prove their legitimacy and become available worldwide.

CAR T-Cell Therapy

CAR T-Cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy that uses immune cells from the patient’s body, which are re-engineered to attack existing cancer cells. The T-Cells are taken from the blood of the patient and are then given a gene for a receptor that targets and attaches to cancer cells. A receptor known as a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) is engineered for the specific type of cancer a patient has. This form of treatment is being used in clinical trials, and has shown promising results for cancers such as mesothelioma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Unfortunately, there are serious side effects that may occur when these T-Cells are reintroduced into a patient’s body. Due to an abundance of cytokines entering the bloodstream, symptoms such as nausea, rash, and headaches may develop and, if serious enough, could lead to Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS).

Despite these potential side effects, some companies, including London-based Autolus, have developed technologies to kill tumor cells, and monitor the T-Cell activity. If there is an overabundance, the technology eliminates these cells so as to not cause serious health complications. 

Monoclonal Antibodies

A monoclonal antibody (mAb) is an antibody that is grown in abundance and designed to target one specific cell type. They are a clone of identical immune cells, hence the name. These mAbs are used to trigger the immune system to attack and kill cancer cells. Some of the antibodies will attach themselves to cancer cells, allowing the immune system to recognize the cells easier. MAbs can also be engineered to target cancer cells in different ways, including the ability to spot cancer cells and prevent them from dividing, which reduces the possibility of metastasis. 

There are three types of monoclonal antibodies. The first, naked monoclonal antibodies, tells the immune system to attack cancer cells. The second type, conjugated monoclonal antibodies, has a chemotherapy drug attached to it and specifically attach to cancer cells, which makes chemotherapy and radiation work more effectively. The third and final type of mAb is called bispecific monoclonal antibodies, which is designed to bind with two different proteins at once. In order to do this, the bispecific monoclonal antibodies will attach to a cancer cell and an immune system cell simultaneously in order to stimulates the immune system to attack the cancer. Through services such as maxXpress, antibodies can be grown rapidly, allowing for them to be utilized for patients rather quickly.

Cancer Vaccines

While cancer vaccinations are still a relatively new discovery, they could become standard treatment in the world of cancer care in the near future. Similar to vaccines for other diseases, these vaccines would introduce a weakened form of cancer into the body and the body will produce antigens to fight this disease if it ever becomes present again. This could be a way to prevent a cancer from growing, stop a cancer from coming back, and destroy any remaining cancer cells as a result of other treatments.

SCIB1 is a DNA plasmid that uses a human antibody to develop an immune response against tumor cells. It is being offered in clinical trials that are in Phase I and II. 

Phase I trials usually consist of a small focus group and are ran to find out specific things such as safe drug dosage, side effects, if the drug is working effectively, and how the body copes with this newly introduced substance. Phase I trials often take a very long time and are for patients who have exhausted all other treatment options.

Phase II focuses on groups that all have the same type of cancer or different cancers. This type of trial allows researchers to find out which types of cancer the treatment works for, how to best manage the side effects, and how to continue to tweak the dosage given to each patient. Patients in Phase II may also be given a placebo drug to truly test how well the actual drug performs and if it is able to move into a Phase III trial.

Out of the 20 patients that have participated in SCBI1 trials, all but one have survived and only 5 patients saw their melanoma progress. Another patient has survived 5 years post-treatment.

A Global Mission

With the U.K. making progress across a variety of different immunotherapies, innovation is happening across the globe. Companies in both the U.S. and China are actively pursuing immunotherapy treatments as well, and the access to clinical trials is becoming greater as more therapies are developed.