An Innovative Therapy For Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

SEnuke: Ready for action

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a slow-growing, life-threatening cancer of the defense mechanisms that develops when white blood cells increase uncontrollably in the lymph nodes. Annually in the U.S. alone, 55,000 new cases are identified. Luckily, story, highly individualized solutions are now being created. With a current medical discovery, patients are now able to receive individualized treatment that eliminates malignant cells while sparing standard, healthy cells.

Traditional treatments usually include chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody medications, which, along with targeting cancerous B-cells, kill healthy white blood cells that comprise a significant component of the immune-system.

Biovest International is among a few organizations focusing on patient-specific cancer vaccines. Biovest's personalized therapeutic, BiovaxID, is currently being tested as a treatment for indolent (slow-growing) follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which affects 12,500 new individuals in the U.S. Annually. The vaccine can sooner or later be used to treat other cancers.

Personalizing BiovaxID begins with a sampling of malignant cells from the patient's lymph nodes. Get further about An Oasis Of Healing Patient Gives Testimonial On Surviving Hodgkin's Lymphoma by navigating to our wonderful encyclopedia. On top of the cells are unique proteins, or antigens, detectable by the immune system. A doctor sends this test of-the patient's cancer cells to Biovest's lab in Worcester, Mass. Here, scientists combine the cells with another distinct cells qualified from Stanford University. The cells blend, delivering the antigen proteins.

As the patient undergoes chemotherapy to destroy most of the cancer cells, Biovest gathers and purifies the patient's antigen meats, which, after chemical modification, form the active component of the custom vaccine. The vaccine is then delivered back to the physician, who injects it into the individual five times over 6 months.

'Typical solutions for non-Hodgkin's don't specifically target the tumor,' describes Dr. Carl M. Cohen, Biovest Chief Operating Officer. 'Our vaccine teaches the patient's defense mechanisms to a target a particular protein on the tumor cells-one observed only on the tumor cells. BiovaxID just kills cancer cells. If you think of chemotherapy as a blunt instrument, our treatment is similar to tweezers.'

Results from the Biovest study of 20 patients, started at the National Cancer Institute a decade ago, show a 95 percent success rate. Forty-five percent continue to be in remission. Based on historical knowledge, no more than half the people could have survived with traditional treatments. Nothing could nevertheless be in remission. (The patients remained disease-free for a median of eight years.)

Presently, Biovest is enrolling patients to get a study to-be held at many major U.S. and European medical institutions. The trial should include 460 patients. Business officials hope to obtain FDA approval for the vaccine by 2008..