Colon Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise

Monday, November 27, 2006; 12:00 AM

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MONDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- British researchers say they've developed a vaccine that stimulates the immune system to fight colorectal cancer cells.

In a clinical trial, scientists at the University of Nottingham gave the vaccine, called 105AD7, to 67 colorectal cancer patients before and after surgery to remove cancerous tumors.

The vaccine helped stimulate immune cell production in up to 70 percent of the patients, the researchers reported in the current issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

"This is the first vaccine shown to stimulate TNF-alpha -- an immune system protein that is very effective at killing cancer cells," study senior author Lindy Durrant, professor of cancer immunotherapy, said in a prepared statement.

The antibody in the vaccine was cloned from a patient who survived seven years despite liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

"This is very unusual, as most patients die within a year of getting liver metastases. I thought if this antibody had helped this patient, if we could clone it, it might help others," Durrant said.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more about colorectal cancer (www.cancer.org ).