April 22, 2014 – Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center have collaborated together to develop a new vaccine that may prove helpful for people diagnosed with the incurable cancer, mesothelioma. Most often, this devastating disease is not diagnosed until it has reached an advanced stage, leaving patients with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Any new promising research about potential treatments gives mesothelioma patients a much-needed sense of hope. The mesothelioma lawyers of Shein Law in Philadelphia are pleased to share the results of this encouraging study.
Cancer Immunotherapy: Unique Approach Used to Develop Cancer Vaccine
Earlier methods of developing cancer vaccines have used this approach: A patient’s own immune cells are removed, treated with antigens, and then returned to the body. This is a complicated and costly procedure that can only be performed in specialized laboratories equipped to care for patients’ cells. Many times, patients with advanced cancers such as mesothelioma do not have enough immune cells to make a vaccine.
The new research study uses a more practical and cost-efficient method that could be utilized by physicians around the world. Researchers began by engineering a protein that links a mesothelin-targeting antibody with Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein, an immune response activator. Mesothelin is a tumor-specific antigen that is over-expressed on the surface of mesothelioma cells. When treated with this fusion protein via vaccination, specific immune cells called dendritic cells are stimulated and enable it to seek out mesothelin. A series of immune responses then occurs targeting the mesothelioma tumor cells.
According to the research data published in the Journal of Hematology & Oncology, tumor growth was significantly decreased and survival rates were improved in the laboratory animal subjects. The researchers believe their new cancer vaccine could be similarly effective in humans suffering from mesothelioma as well as other forms of cancer such as ovarian cancer. Patients with limited immune cells would also be able to receive the treatment. They plan on continuing their research.
Shein Law: Knowledgeable Mesothelioma Lawyers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or any other asbestos-related disease, contact the qualified Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyers at Shein Law. For three decades, we have been successfully helping mesothelioma victims and their families to obtain justice and the financial compensation to which they were entitled. With our law offices conveniently located in Philadelphia, PA and Pennsauken, NJ, we are able to serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Call us today at 1-877-SHEINLAW (743-4652) to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Philadelphia mesothelioma attorney or contact us online.