Scientists/Clinicians
Introduction
The aim of the research funded by the Cancer Vaccine Institute (CVI) is to provide an environment where putative cancer vaccines can be tested, both in the laboratory and, where appropriate in the clinic.
The Research is undertaken by Professor Angus Dalgleish Bsc (Hons) MBBS MD FRACPath FRACP FRCP FMed Sci and his team at St George's University of London and at other centres around the country. A Scientific Board, made up of a panel of scientists and clinicians is responsible for independently assessing and prioritising research projects.
The CVI was originally set up to assess the melanoma vaccine of Dr Donald Morton at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. A similar approach was used to screen putative vaccines for prostate cancer. The putative prostate cancer vaccine has undergone extensive phase II testing and is now being developed by Onyvax Limited.
Other research has focused on the development of assays to measure immune abnormalities in patients with cancer. We have been able to demonstrate that many patients with cancer have a profound suppression of the cell killing component of the immune system. We have been able to show that this is restored following removal of the tumour in most cases of colorectal cancer and following cancer vaccination, particularly where the tumour cannot be resected. A major focus has been to demonstrate that Mycobacterium vaccae is capable of restoring this immune response and that adding in low doses of the cytokine, Interleukin-2 can greatly enhance this capability, which in itself can lead to tumour regression.
Our current research is focussed on dendritic cell technology, but also has expanded to look for biomarkers that are informative of patient responses to vaccines. We also maintain a broader interest in methods of immune stimulation including in vivo and in vitro manipulation of gamma-delta cells. Basic research work has been funded by the Fischer Trust and this has led to original protocols for melanoma. This application to other cancers, including renal, paediatric, sarcomas, pancreatic and gastro intestinal are being explored.
Since the launch of the CVI in 2000 much success has been achieved and shared with other scientists and clinicians around the world through Scientific journals and conferences. We have shown that the addition of low dose Interleukin-2 into vaccines can enhance objective responses as well as demonstrating in a collaboration with Celgene that the new Thalidomide analogues cause significant immune stimulation, suggesting they may be an ideal adjuvant treatment to give with cancer vaccines. We have also completed the development of a prostate cancer vaccine developed here and being pursued by Onyvax, a small biotech company based here at St. George’s Hospital Medical School. The cost of developing a new vaccine through to market these days means that a company has to be involved to manage this process, which costs at least £50 billion to take through for final registration. There is a worldwide growing interest in the development of cancer vaccines and Professor Dalgleish has chaired or presented at three international meetings dedicated to this approach in the last eight months.
We rely solely on voluntary contributions to fund our Research costs which include laboratory and out-patient facilities, consumables and salaries of the research team.
