Table 2.
Immunotherapy in the treatment for human cancer: a summary of recent successful clinical trials
| Cancer type | Trial phase | Compound name | Treatment description | No. of patients | Outcome | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numerous | I | MKC1106-PP-PRAME and PSMA antigens | Intralymph node injection of DNA & peptide vaccine | 26 | 7 patients with stable disease at 6 months | [119] |
| Numerous | I | MDX-1106-I.V. MDX-1106 | I.V. MDX-1106 | 39 | 1 CR and 2 PR at 3 months | [6] |
| Non-small cell lung cancer | IIB | L-BLP25-MUC1 antigen | I.V. cyclohexamide and multiple S.C. vaccine injections | 171 | 24 % (L-BLP25 + BSC) v. 12 % (BSC) survival at 3 years | [120] |
| Non-small cell lung cancer | I | Chemotherapy/CEA peptide-pulsed DC/cytokine-induced killer cells | Chemo followed by multiple I.V. injections of cells | 28 | Median progression-free survival 6.9 months v. 5.2 months (chemo only) | [121] |
| Glioblastoma multiforme | I/II | DC vaccine with autologous tumor lystates | Multiple S.C. injections near lymph node | 17 | 37.5 % (vaccine) v. 3.2 % (historical ctrl) survival at 3 years | [122] |
| Melanoma | II | Lymphodepletion, autologous TIL, and high-dose IL-2 | Infusion of TIL expanded in culture | 93 | 36 % survival at 3 years, 29 % survival at 5 years | [123] |
| Melanoma | III | Ipilimumab-anti-CTLA- 4 ± gp100 peptide vaccine | I.V. ipilimumab ± S.C. gp100 in IFA | 676 | Median overall survival 10.1 months v. 6.4 months (gp100 alone) | [5] |
| Melanoma | III | gp100 peptide and high-dose IL-2 | I.V. injection of IL-2 and S.C. injection of peptide in IFA | 185 | 17.8 months v. 11.1 months overall survival (IL-2 only) | [10] |
| Renal cell carcinoma | I/II | GM-CSF, IL-2, and IFN-γ | S.C. injection of cytokines | 60 | Median progression-free survival 6.0 months | [124] |
| Prostate cancer | III | Sipuleucel-T-GM-CSF/PAP antigen fusion protein | I.V. injection of activated PBMC | 512 | 31.7 v. 23 % (placebo) survival at 3 years | [11] |
PRAME preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma, PSMA prostate-specific membrane antigen, MUC1 Mucin 1, IV intravenous, SC subcutaneous, V versus, BSC best supportive care, DC dendritic cell, TIL tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, GM-CSF granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-2 interleukin 2, IFN-γ interferon gamma, IFA incomplete Freund’s adjuvant, PAP prostatic acid phosphatase, PBMC peripheral blood mononuclear cells, CR complete response, PR partial response