Scientists from the UCSF Medical Center have shown that vitespen (trademarked as Oncophage), a vaccine developed for the treatment of glioma seems to be effective. Glioma, a type of tumor arising from glial cells, commonly involves the brain.

Derived from each individual's tumor, vitespen contains the "fingerprint" of the patient's particular cancer and is designed to reprogram the body's immune system to target only cancer cells bearing this fingerprint. The vaccine is intended to leave healthy tissue unaffected and limit the debilitating side effects typically associated with traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Vitespen is also on trials, and has received fast track and orphan drug designations from the Food and Drug Administration, in both metastatic melanoma (skin cancer) and renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer). More details of the clinical trials from the UCSF report.

[Photo: Antigenics]