immunotherapies

Johns Hopkins engineers develop deep-learning technology that may aid personalized cancer therapy

Source: scitechdaily.com Author: by Johns Hopkins Medicine Cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells recognizing cancer cells by receptor binding neoantigens. Credit: Image generated by DALL-E 2 from OpenAI A team of engineers and cancer researchers from Johns Hopkins has developed a deep-learning technology capable of accurately predicting protein fragments linked to cancer, which might trigger an immune system response. Should this technology prove successful in clinical tests, it could address a significant challenge in the creation of personalized immunotherapies and vaccines. In a study published July 20 in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence, investigators from Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering, the Johns Hopkins Institute for Computational Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy show that their deep-learning method, called BigMHC, can identify protein fragments on cancer cells that elicit a tumor cell-killing immune response, an essential step in understanding response to immunotherapy and in developing personalized cancer therapies. “Cancer immunotherapy is designed to activate a patient’s immune system to destroy cancer cells,” says Rachel Karchin, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering, oncology, and computer science, and a core member of the Institute for Computational Medicine. “A critical step in the process is immune system recognition of cancer cells through T cell binding to cancer-specific protein fragments on the cell surface.” The cancer protein fragments that elicit this tumor-killing immune response may originate from changes in the genetic makeup of cancer cells (or mutations), called mutation-associated neoantigens. Each patient’s tumor has a unique set of such neoantigens [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-08-13T12:32:46-07:00August, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

First patient participates in immunotherapy trial despite COVID-19 pandemic

Source: www.news-medical.net Author: UC-San Diego, Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc Since 2016, Bernard Thurman has undergone traditional treatments, experimental therapies and surgeries to counter the cancer within him, but nothing has successfully eradicated the disease. Earlier this year, the oncologists in Los Angeles who were treating him referred Thurman to a personalized cancer therapy trial being developed at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. "Truly, I am running out of options, as far as treatment goes," said Thurman, whose cancer developed in his tonsils and has since spread to his lungs. "The latest immunotherapies, both the FDA-approved and the experimental, were proving ineffective. Obviously, it was time to go in a different direction." Thurman met with Ezra Cohen, MD, associate director for translational science at Moores Cancer Center, in mid-March to discuss an investigational cell therapy that uses a patient's own immune cells -- specifically tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) -- to seek and destroy their own unique cancer cells. Days after this meeting, COVID-19 swept the country, forcing hospitals to rethink which procedures could continue and which would need to be paused. Because the TIL trial requires that patients be hospitalized, it was put on hold. Thurman was disappointed. "Don't let the pandemic make you decide to put off cancer treatment," said Thurman. "You may or may not get COVID, but cancer will kill you if you don't treat it. So, don't delay it." Knowing the urgency of treatment, Cohen, a head and neck oncologist, suggested an alternative [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-12-12T09:56:17-07:00December, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers take head and neck cancer by the throat

Source: www.brisbanetimes.com.au Author: Stuart Layt Research has identified more weak spots in a deadly type of head and neck cancer that it is hoped will lead to more effective treatments. Oropharyngeal cancer can affect the base of the tongue, the tonsils, soft palate and parts of the throat, and almost half of all cases in Australia are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Current immunotherapies target two protein receptors on the cancer; however, they have had mixed success. Lead researcher Professor Rajiv Khanna from QIMR Berghofer said they had identified four more spots on the genome of the cancer that they believed could be targeted by immunotherapy. “Everybody has been trying to make immunotherapies that target those two antigens, but what we have found is that while those two are important, we were ignoring some of the other antigens,” Professor Khanna said. “We took immune cells out of our patients and effectively asked them what they could “see” other than [the two proteins] E6 and E7, and actually they could see others.” The study analysed immune cells taken from 66 oropharyngeal cancer patients at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Co-lead author Professor Sandro Porceddu, the director of radiation oncology research at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, said they were now developing therapies based on the research. “We’re already working on developing better killer T-cell immunotherapies that recognise all, or a combination, of these proteins,” Professor Porceddu said. “Different combinations of the proteins are present on [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-07-27T20:09:24-07:00July, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

New method of cancer immunotherapy developed

Source: www.nextbigfuture.com Author: staff A team of Stanford ChEM-H scientists has discovered a novel form of cancer immunotherapy, which works by removing certain sugars from the surface of cancer cells and making those cells visible to the immune system. Scientists have long known that if certain sugars are present on a tumor, it is less likely to respond well to therapies. But nobody knew what that halo of sugars was doing, in part because such a small number of labs study the glycocalyx. Evidence had been mounting within those few labs that do study the glycocalyx, including Bertozzi’s, that a subset of sugars called sialic acids act as a signal for the innate immune system to ignore the otherwise suspicious-looking tumor. Eliminate those sugars, and maybe innate immune cells would be more likely to recognize and attack the cancer cells, Bertozzi thought. And essentially that’s exactly what happened. Current immunotherapies on the market work by blocking one of the inhibitory signals that are recognized by the adaptive immune system. Block those and the balance tilts in such a way that the immune system will attack the now recognizable cancer. Bertozzi’s approach provides a second way of tiling the balance in favor of attack, this time for the innate immune system. She said this study shows just one example of how it could work, but her sugar-removing lawnmower could be used on a wide variety of cell types, not just those expressing HER2, and on different types of sugars. PNAS - [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-08-25T20:54:47-07:00August, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Expert says Nivolumab Poised to Change Standard of Care in SCCHN

Source: www.onclive.com Author: Laura Panjwani Nivolumab (Opdivo) is a game-changing agent for the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), according to Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD. “Recent findings have shown us that this agent is really the new standard-of-care option for all platinum-refractory patients with head and neck cancer,” says Ferris, vice chair for Clinical Operations, associate director for Translational Research, and co-leader of the Cancer Immunology Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. “This is regardless of whether patients are PD-L1–positive or negative or whether they are HPV-positive or negative.” The PD-L1 inhibitor received a priority review designation by the FDA in July 2016 based on the CheckMate-141 study, which demonstrated a median overall survival (OS) with nivolumab of 7.5 months compared with 5.1 months with investigator's choice of therapy (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.96; P = .0101) in patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN. The objective response rate (ORR) was 13.3% with nivolumab and 5.8% for investigator's choice. The FDA is scheduled to make a decision on the application for the PD-1 inhibitor by November 11, 2016, as part of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Ferris was the lead author on an analysis that further evaluated preliminary data from CheckMate-141, which was presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting. In an interview with OncLive, he discusses the findings of this study, potential biomarkers for nivolumab, and questions that remain regarding the use of the immunotherapy in SCCHN. OncLive: What [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-08-24T13:28:58-07:00August, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

The Oral Cancer Foundation’s Founder, Brian R. Hill, honored by the Global Oral Cancer Forum – International oral cancer community honor his accomplishments in the field.

Source: www.prnewswire.comAuthor: The Oral Cancer Foundation NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the recent Global Oral Cancer Forum (GOCF), Brian R. Hill, Executive Director and Founder of the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), was honored for his work as an advocate and innovative thinker in the oral cancer arena. The GOCF organizers and community awarded Hill the 2016 Global Oral Cancer Forum Commitment, Courage and Innovation Leadership Award for his dedication and contributions to the field of oral cancer over the last 18 years. Upon accepting the award, Hill received a standing ovation from those in attendance, which included global oral cancer thought leaders, researchers, treatment physicians, other non-profit organizations and representatives from various government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health / National Cancer Institute, and the World Health Organization (WHO). When asked about being honored Hill said, "In the beginning and for many years I was alone at OCF and it was just the seed of an idea. Those grassroots efforts matured into a robust network of important relationships with a common goal. Today OCF is so much more than just me and my singular efforts. Through the benevolence of the many OCF supporters, particularly in the RDH, dental/medical professional communities and survivor groups, OCF has grown into a powerful national force for proactive change of the late discovery paradigm, access to quality information, disease and patient advocacy, funding of research, and patient support." Hill acknowledges that he had the mentorship of some of the brightest minds [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-03-11T10:35:36-07:00March, 2016|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Immunotherapies gaining traction in head and neck cancers

Source: www.targetedonc.com Author: Greg Kennelty An explosion of immunotherapies is on the horizon for patients with metastatic head and neck cancer, specifically as phase III trials begin to report findings for PD-1 inhibitors. This upcoming wave of new therapies places importance on understanding optimal treatment settings and adverse events associated with these therapies. In late January, the phase III CheckMate-141 trial investigating the anti–PD-1 agent nivolumab was stopped early, due to a substantial improvement in the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS). The drug was put up against the investigator’s choice of cetuximab (Erbitux), methotrexate, or docetaxel following progression on a platinum-based therapy. At this time, data from the study have not yet been released but are being prepared for future presentation. Findings from the study are being discussed with the FDA and other health authorities. In addition to nivolumab, the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) demonstrated encouraging activity in patients with with advanced PD-L1–positive esophageal carcinoma during the phase Ib KEYNOTE-028 study. Additionally, the agent was effective for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the phase I KEYNOTE-012 study. In the head and neck cancer population, the objective response rate with pembrolizumab was 24.8% in 117 evaluable patients. Tumor shrinkage was experienced by 56% of patients and another 25% had stable disease. The response rate seen with pembrolizumab was similar, regardless of HPV infection status. In those with HPV-positive disease, the ORR was 20.6% compared with 27.2% in the negative group. To gain further insight, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-02-18T14:35:44-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Head and neck cancer presentation highlights

Source: www.dailyrx.com Author: Travis Giddings The field of head and neck cancer from ASCO 2012 A recent presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology expanded on several molecular breakthroughs concerning head and neck cancers, and a team of doctors gave an overview of recent conclusions from their respective fields. The newly identified molecular pathway for cancers of the head and neck that involves the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) led to developments of highly effective drugs specific for the cancerous cells, EGFR inhibitors. Soon afterwards, scientists discovered the increasingly important role that the human papillomavirus (HPV) played in the development of cancers in the head and neck. Following the explosion of research in the field of molecular pathways involved in head and neck cancers, doctors quickly found that the cancer was a lot more complicated than previous believed. Additional research continues as scientists try to make sense of the data. Approaching the treatment of head and neck cancer from their perspectives from surgery, radiology, and oncology, doctors on the panel discussed the difficulties the field currently faced. The director of Johns Hopkins' Head and Neck Cancer Research department, oncologist David Sidransky, MD, opened the meeting. “The genetic and epigenetic alterations in human tumors are becoming increasingly important for devising and implementing personalized oncology approaches,” said Dr. Sidransky. “Unlike in some other cancers, in head and neck cancer the common mutations that have been identified have not been very helpful for treatment.” The chair of the conference was held by [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-06-08T07:56:18-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer immunotherapy firm raises $1.5M, eyes strategic partners

Source: medcitynews.com A company developing products to restore the immune system of cancer patients has raised $1.5 million and is now looking for strategic partners. IRX Therapeutics’ lead product, IRX-2, aims to correct dendritic cell and T-cell defects in cancer patients in order to overcome cancer-induced immune suppression and restore antitumor response, according to the company’s website. The cell-based drug has completed a phase 2a trial in which it was well tolerated by patients with head and neck cancer, and showed a good safety profile, which suggests it could be combined with a number of cancer treatment regimens to improve their effectiveness. “This last $1.5 million round will primarily fund the company’s efforts to align with strategic partners for the development of IRX-2,” chief financial officer Jeffrey Hwang said in an email. At least 40 additional unique cancer immunotherapies are currently being tested, according to a report from MD Becker Partners LLC, including ones developed by Bavarian Nordic, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oncothyreo/Merck and Transgene/Novartis. IRX has raised more than $80 million so far and has received Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-06-06T14:46:40-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

BT Pharma secures EUR 13.1million (USD 17.7 million) in capital funding and changes its name to Genticel

Source: pharmalive.com/News Author: press release BT Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative immunotherapies to prevent cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), announces today that it has raised EUR 13.1 million in additional funding and changed its name to Genticel. AGF Private Equity led the round, which brought in three new investors, IRDI (Institut Régional de Développement Industriel), Amundi Private Equity Funds and InnoBio fund, managed by CDC Entreprises, within FSI France Investment program. Previous investors, including Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP), also took part. To best leverage its unique and broadly applicable therapeutic vaccine platform, Adenylate Cyclase (CyaA), Genticel will focus its efforts on the prevention of cervical cancer in HPV infected women. A phase I clinical trial of Genticel's lead therapeutic HPV vaccine, ProCervix, is scheduled for the second quarter of 2010. This bivalent product, which carries antigens originating from both HPV16 and HPV18, should offer a curative vaccine solution that will complement current prophylactic vaccines. "This level of support from investors, particularly in the current economic environment, is extremely encouraging and confirms the potential of our drug candidates and our business plan," said Dr Benedikt Timmerman, CEO at Genticel. "The new funding will not only enable us to conduct our 'first-in-man' clinical trial with the CyaA technology but also allow the company to prepare for phase II in the same indication and prepare pipeline products up to the development stage." Dr Alain Munoz, MD, representative of AGF Private Equity, who has joined the Supervisory Board of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-09T21:40:51-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|