A lung cancer treatment has been successfully tested in people with a subtype of this disease called "non-small cell." The results are published in the Journal of Immune Based Therapies and Vaccines and show an increase in the immune response of patients.
The vaccine is based on the delivery of a type of protein called "epithelial growth factors" (EGF). These substances are manufactured naturally by the body, but in some types of cancer there is an overexpression of their receptors, which contributes to the development of tumors. The aim of the vaccine is to produce antibodies against the EGFs themselves and thus block the interaction between these proteins and their receptors.
The trial was conducted in people with "non-small cell" lung cancer, and the results were better in patients younger than 60 years. In general, the patients tended to increase their immune response, and the side effects of the vaccine were minimal. Although it is yet to be verified whether the drug produces an effective increase in patient survival, the study carried out by the Molecular Center for Immunology (Havana, Cuba) represents an important step towards improving cancer treatments.
