ImMucin, the breakthrough cancer vaccine, shows promising results in human safety trial

ImMucin, a breakthrough vaccine that targets a molecule in 90% of all cancers has been tested on humans for the first time.

Results from the safety trial – on patients with blood cancer – found all had greater immunity to the disease after receiving the vaccine. Three of the seven patients who have completed the treatment are now free of the condition.

The therapeutic vaccine developed by Vaxil Biotheraputics and Tel Aviv University is designed to be given to patients to help their bodies fight cancer rather than the majority – known as prophylactic vaccines – that aim to prevent disease in the first place.

Researchers believe the jab could also tackle breast, prostate, pancreatic, bowel and ovarian cancers.

Even tumors that resist treatment with the best medicines on the market, including the breast cancer “wonder drug” Herceptin, may be susceptible to the vaccine.

If all goes well, ImMucin could be on the market by 2020.

Rather than attacking cancer cells, like many drugs, ImMucin harnesses the power of the immune system to fight tumors.

The search for cancer vaccines has until now been hampered by fears that healthy tissue would be destroyed with tumors.

Researchers from the drug company Vaxil Biotheraputics and Tel Aviv University have focused on a protein called MUC1 that is made in bigger amounts in cancerous cells than in healthy ones.

Not only is there more of it, but a sugar that it is “decorated” with has a distinctive shape.

The vaccine “trains” the immune system to recognize the rogue sugar and turn its arsenal against the cancer.

The misshaped MUC1 sugar is found in 90% of all cancers. There have been “dramatic” results in tests on mice with breast tumors.

Now, Vaxil Biotheraputics have announced promising results in a human safety trial.

Ten patients suffering from multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, have now received the vaccine received the vaccine at the Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem.

Seven of the patients have finished the treatment and Vaxil reported that all of them had greater immunity against cancer cells compared to before they were given the vaccine. Of the seven, three patients are reportedly free of detectable cancer.

None of them have reported suffering side-effects apart from minor irritation.

A statement from Vaxil Biotheraputics said: “ImMucin generated a robust and specific immune response in all patients which was observed after only 2-4 doses of the vaccine out of a maximum of 12 doses.

“In some of the patients, preliminary signs of clinical efficacy were observed.”

Years of large-scale human trials will be needed before the drug is judged safe and effective for widespread use in hospitals.

It could then be used with existing drugs to boost treatment and given to prevent tumors from coming back after surgery.

Men and women known to be at high risk of cancer because of their genes could also be vaccinated in an attempt to stop tumors from appearing.