Roswell Park Cancer Institute Announces Vaccine for Cancer

Dendritic cell vaccine, manufactured in unique RPCI facility, trains body’s defenses to remember, destroy cancer cells

STORY HIGHLIGHTS: 

New dendritic cell vaccine designed to kill cancer cells, prevent relapse

Vaccine will be made at RPCI using a unique FDA-approved process

First study to test a dendritic vaccine given in combination with rapamycin

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Annie Deck-Miller, Senior Media Relations Manager
716-845-8593; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Center for Immunotherapy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) has launched a phase I clinical research study of a dendritic cell vaccine designed to both eradicate cancer cells and prevent disease relapse. Developed at RPCI, the NY-ESO-1 dendritic cell vaccine will be manufactured in the Institute’s new Therapeutic Cell Production Facility using a unique FDA-approved process — making RPCI the first research facility in the U.S. to use a custom-made barrier isolator for vaccine cell production, and the first in the world to use this system in an approved, government-regulated study.

Dendritic cells are the gatekeepers of the human immune system, defending against invaders like bacteria, viruses and cancer. The vaccine to be produced at RPCI will be the first to incorporate a particular form of NY-ESO-1, antiDEC205-NY-ESO-1. “Armed with this specialized protein, the treated cells are then given back to the patient as a vaccine designed to recruit an army of killer immune cells that seek out and destroy cancer,” explains Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Director of RPCI’s Center for Immunotherapy (CFI) and the study’s Principal Investigator.

The new study is also unique in that it’s the first to test a dendritic vaccine given in combination with rapamycin, a compound used to prevent rejection of solid-organ transplant. The study just launched will capitalize on a striking recent scientific discovery by Protul Shrikant, PhD, of the Department of Immunology at RPCI, who found that in low doses, rapamycin confers a previously unknown benefit — it prevents the immune system from using up its cancer-killing T-cells in one quick burst. “We have shown for the first time that rapamycin has the capacity to produce immune cells that have memory attributes,” explains Dr. Odunsi, who is also Chair of RPCI’s Department of Gynecologic Oncology. “The immune cells are trained to live longer and to always remember that cancer cells are bad and should be attacked and killed.”

The ability to stretch out the attack for a long-term, durable response suggests that the vaccine may be effective in preventing disease recurrence. The new NY-ESO-1 dendritic cell vaccine is expected to show great promise in patients with bladder, brain, breast, esophageal, gastrointestinal, hepatocellular, kidney, lung, melanoma, ovarian, prostate, sarcoma and uterine tumors.

The NY-ESO-1 vaccine, tailor-made for each patient, will be produced in RPCI’s Therapeutic Cell Production Facility (TCPF) under the direction of Yeong “Christopher” Choi, PhD, who notes: “We believe that our facility’s custom-made barrier isolator, the unit in which the vaccines are manufactured, is the first of its kind.” The barrier isolator — an Xvivo System processing chamber designed to RPCI’s specifications by BioSpherix, Ltd., Lacona, NY — maintains strict control of the unit’s temperature and atmospheric gases, critical for optimal production of dendritic cell vaccines.

“Those conditions, and the sterile vaccine-manufacturing environment, are rigidly maintained throughout the entire process,” says Dr. Choi. “The Xvivo — which at about 70 square feet is basically a clean room in a box — acts as a physical barrier that protects the cell-therapy product from outside contaminants, resulting in a safer, more predictable manufacturing process.”

The potential of therapeutic vaccines is attracting increasing interest in the field of oncology. Last year, the FDA approved the first therapeutic cancer vaccine, Provenge® (sipuleucel-T), for men with advanced prostate cancer. RPCI’s Center for Immunotherapy is awaiting FDA approval to launch additional cancer vaccine trials, including a vaccine for malignant glioma (a type of brain tumor) and another vaccine for patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer.

“This trial will be only the beginning of a very robust program of activity in the area of using the human immune system to fight cancer,” adds Dr. Odunsi. “Our production process holds tremendous potential for applications related to stem-cell therapy and regenerative medicine, and I believe we’re uniquely positioned at RPCI to have the tools, infrastructure and multidisciplinary collaboration to capitalize on these ideas and opportunities both effectively and efficiently.”

The clinical research study will enroll 18-20 eligible patients whose tumors express a specific antigen, known as NY-ESO-1. Apart from the adult male testis, NY-ESO-1 is not expressed in normal tissues of the body, but is expressed in cancers. This may help decrease the risk of side effects from the vaccine, because it should target only the tissues that express NY-ESO-1.

Dr. Odunsi, who developed the NY-ESO-1 vaccine, led previous trials evaluating its effectiveness in treating ovarian cancer. Christine Sable of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, enrolled on one of those studies in February of 2004, after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Although she faced a 75-80% chance that the cancer would return, her immune system responded strongly to the vaccine, and she has remained cancer-free in the seven years since then, with no side effects.

To learn more about the clinical research studies of the NY-ESO-1 dendritic cell vaccine, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724).

The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. RPCI, founded in 1898, was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.

More information:

B-roll video (QuickTime H.264 1920x1080, 329 MB) available for download at:https://files.me.com/rpcicreative/wn2kxt.mov

About this clinical trial: http://www.roswellpark.org/clinical-trials/list/191511

Erie County Department of Senior Services Tools for Caregivers Classes

Register Now for Powerful Tools for Caregiver Classes
in Amherst, Buffalo, Hamburg, Kenmore

            A six-week educational program designed to provide caregivers the tools needed for taking care of themselves is now being offered.  Through six 2 1/2 hour sessions held on a weekly basis, caregivers learn to reduce stress, improve self-confidence, better communicate feelings, and locate helpful resources.  Attendees also learn how to increase their ability to make tough decisions and balance their lives.  Pre-Registration is required - Call 858-2177or e-mail caregiver@erie.gov for more information about Powerful Tools for Caregivers Classes and to register.  There is a $25 cost for the course, which includes a copy of The Caregiver Helpbook*

*Complete course cost is covered for all Blue Cross/Blue Shield of WNY and Independent Health members.   

** Course cost at this location is covered in full by CHF Cultural Diversity Grant funding for those that are uninsured.

            Additional classes are being scheduled. For more information or to register, contact: Erie County Department of Senior Services at 858-2177 or e-mail: caregiver@erie.gov Class listing is also on our website at:erie.gov/depts/seniorservices.

 

 

Schofield Residence 3333 Elmwood Ave., Kenmore	Thurs.	March 1 – April 5, 2012 10 am – 12:30 pm
VA WNY Healthcare System Northtown Business Center 3131 Sheridan Dr., Amherst FREE Respite care for the memory impaired is offered at this class – inquire at registration	Tues.	March 8 – April 12, 2012 6:00 -8:30 pm
Amherst Senior Center 370 John James Audubon Pkwy., Amherst FREE Respite care for the memory impaired is offered at this class – inquire at registration	Mon.	March 19 – April 23, 2012 12:30 pm – 3 pm
Hispanics United of Buffalo** 254 Virginia St., Buffalo 14201 (This class will be conducted in Spanish)	Wed.	March 21 – April 25, 2012 4:00 – 6:30 pm
ElderWood Village at Rosewood 76 Buffalo St., Hamburg 14075	Tues.	May 15 – June 19, 2012 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program - Walk-Ins Welcome! Join Anytime!

The ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION EXERCISE PROGRAM is a nationally certified, gentle exercise program designed for people with arthritis. Exercises for range-of-motion, strength building and flexibility are taught by a certified instructor and set in a fun format! Sitting or standing, participants learn how to exercise within their own abilities. Arthritis management tips, relaxation techniques for pain management, breathing exercises included.

FREE! The ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION EXERCISE PROGRAM will be offered to the community at Absolut Care Aurora Park, in East Aurora, 292 Main Street, in the Hamlin Residence Activity Room. Classes meet every Monday until the end of the year, 9:30 to 10:30. Call 652-1560 to register.

FREE! The ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION EXERCISE PROGRAM will be offered to the community at Absolut Care Orchard Park, 6060 Armor Rd, in Orchard Park. Classes meet every Tuesday until the end of the year, Noon to 1:00. Please call 662-4433 to register.

VERY LOW COST! The ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION EXERCISE PROGRAM will be offered to the community at Ken-Ton Presbyterian Village Apartments Community Room, 3735 Delaware Ave, in Kenmore. Classes meet every Tuesday until the end of the year, 3:30 to 4:30. Please call 874-6070 to register.

VERY LOW COST! The ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION EXERCISE PROGRAM will be offered to the community at First Presbyterian Church, 2085 Union Rd, in West Seneca. Classes meet every Wednesday until the end of the year, 1:00 to 2:00. Please call 491-6470 to register.

VERY LOW COST! The ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION WALK WITH EASE PROGRAM will be offered to the community at First Presbyterian Church, 2085 Union Rd, in West Seneca. Classes meet every Monday through December 19, 1:30 to 2:30. Please call 491-6470 to register. Strengthening and warm-up exercises are followed by walking at your pace in the Great Hall. In mild and comfortable weather, walking is in neighboring Burchfield Park.

Contact Cynthia Pegado, Program Manager, Arthritis Foundation, 507-4543.
Visit fightarthritispain.org to learn more.

Exenatide (Byetta) Has Rapid, Powerful Anti-inflammatory Effect, UB Study Shows

Anti-inflammatory effect occurs independently of weight loss UB's Dandona and colleagues now plan to study how exenatide might be used in the ICU and other settings where a rapid anti-inflammatory effect is needed. Contact Ellen Goldbaum goldbaum@buffalo.edu 716-645-4605  twitter @egoldbaum Release Date: November 2, 2011 BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Exenatide, a drug commonly prescribed to help patients with type 2 diabetes improve blood sugar control, also has a powerful and rapid anti-inflammatory effect, a University at Buffalo study has shown. The study of the drug, marketed under the trade name Byetta, was published recently in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. "Our most important finding was this rapid, anti-inflammatory effect, which may lead to the inhibition of atherosclerosis, the major cause of heart attacks, strokes and gangrene in diabetics," says Paresh Dandona, MD, UB Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicine, UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and senior author. It was especially noteworthy that this anti-inflammatory effect occurred independently of weight loss over the 12-week study period, he adds. "The fact that the drug caused this dramatic and comprehensive anti-inflammatory effect independent of weight loss shows that it is a primary action of the drug and is not dependent upon weight loss," says Ajay Chaudhuri, MD, associate professor of medicine at UB and lead author. He explains that, since obesity is an inflammatory state and adipose tissue contributes to inflammation, weight loss on its own can lead to an anti-inflammatory effect. "Even more importantly, a short-lived anti-inflammatory effect was observed within two hours following a single injection of 5 micrograms of the drug," Chaudhuri continues. "This coincides with the peak concentration of the drug after the injection. Such a rapid and dramatic effect is rare." "Apart from corticosteroids, which are known anti-inflammatory drugs, and insulin, no other drug demonstrates such a powerful and rapid anti-inflammatory effect," adds Dandona. As a result, he and his colleagues at UB plan to study how exenatide might be used in acute inflammatory settings in the intensive care unit or following heart attacks and strokes, where a rapid anti-inflammatory effect is required and such drugs may be of potential use. In addition to the anti-inflammatory effect, participants also exhibited a drop in the measurement of average blood sugar levels over three months, called hemoglobin A1C, from 8.6 percent to 7.4 percent. The study involved 24 obese type 2 diabetics who were already on insulin to control their glucose levels. The current study was undertaken based on previous observations published in 2007 by the UB researchers that exenatide indicated an anti-inflammatory effect, reducing plasma C-reactive protein levels, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure. Co-authors with Chaudhuri and Dandona are Mehul Vora, MD, clinical assistant instructor of medicine; Husam Ghanim, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine; Sandeep Dhindsa, MD, and Antoine Makdissi, MD, both assistant professors of medicine; and Chang Ling Sia and Kelly Korzeniewski, research assistants in the UB Department of Medicine, all of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism of UB and Kaleida Health. The study was supported by a grant from the Amylin Corporation and Eli-Lilly. The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.

National Expert To Headline RPCI Seminar On Role Of Research In Nursing

BUFFALO, NY — Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) welcomes the region’s nurses to a free half-day program featuring a keynote address from a national expert. Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Cedars-Sinai Health System and Research Institute, will keynote “Nursing Research: Producing Evidence to Advance Health” Wednesday, November 16 from 8 a.m. to noon in the Hohn Auditorium, Research Studies Center, RPCI.

Burnes Bolton, who in April was named to Modern Healthcare Magazine’s Top 25 Women in Healthcare list, is also Vice Chair of the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing. In her address, she will share her vision of a healthcare system that makes quality care accessible to diverse populations, promotes wellness and disease prevention, improves health outcomes and provides compassionate care across a person’s lifespan, detailing the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations on the future of nursing and addressing knowledge gaps in nursing research.

A panel discussion will follow, led by several regional and state nursing leaders:

• Maureen Kelly, RN, MS, OCN, NEA-BC CNO, Chief Nursing Officer at RPCI
• Barbara Zittel, RN, PhD, Nursing Consultant
• Mary Lou Rusin, RN, EdD, ANEF, Nursing Department Chairperson, Daemen College
• Frances Crosby, RN, EdD, MS, BS, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing, Niagara University
• Mary Beth Campo, RN, MS, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Executive, Kaleida Health
• Davina Porock, RN, PhD, Interim Dean, Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship, University at Buffalo School of Nursing

The seminar will begin with a poster session and continental breakfast from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Burnes Bolton’s keynote address will begin at 10 a.m., with the panel discussion following from 11 a.m. to noon. Attendees can earn one continuing nursing education credit through the Oncology Nursing Society.

Free parking is available at First Niagara Center, Washington Street at Perry Street. Free shuttle service will be provided for attendees from 7:30-9:30 a.m. and noon-1:00 pm. (The RPCI parking ramp is reserved for patients.)

To reserve a seat, call 716-845-3436 or send an e-mail to wendy.raber@roswellpark.org by November 9.

New Hope for Alzheimer's

For Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Brain Cancers, Cornell Finding May Permit Drug delivery to the Brain

Cornell University researchers may have solved a 100-year puzzle: How to safely open and close the blood-brain barrier so that therapies to treat Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cancers of the central nervous system might effectively be delivered. (Journal of Neuroscience, Sept. 14, 2011.) The researchers found that adenosine, a molecule produced by the body, can modulate the entry of large molecules into the brain. For the first time, the researchers discovered that when adenosine receptors are activated on cells that comprise the blood-brain barrier, a gateway into the blood-brain barrier can be established.

Although the study was done on mice, the researchers have also found adenosine receptors on these same cells in humans. They also discovered that an existing FDA-approved drug called Lexiscan, an adenosine-based drug used in heart imaging in very ill patients, can also briefly open the gateway across the blood-brain barrier.

The blood-brain barrier is composed of the specialized cells that make up the brain’s blood vessels. It selectively prevents substances from entering the blood and brain, only allowing such essential molecules as amino acids, oxygen, glucose and water through. The barrier is so restrictive that researchers couldn’t find a way to deliver drugs to the brain – until now.

“The biggest hurdle for every neurological disease is that we are unable to treat these diseases because we cannot deliver drugs into the brain,” said Margaret Bynoe, associate professor of immunology at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine and senior author of a paper appearing Sept. 14 in the Journal of Neuroscience. Aaron Carman, a former postdoctoral associate in Bynoe’s lab, is the paper’s lead author. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“Big pharmaceutical companies have been trying for 100 years to find out how to traverse the blood-brain barrier and still keep patients alive,” said Bynoe, who with colleagues have patented the findings and have started a company, Adenios Inc., which will be involved in drug testing and preclinical trials.

Researchers have tried to deliver drugs to the brain by modifying them so they would bind to receptors and “piggyback” onto other molecules to get across the barrier, but so far, this modification process leads to lost drug efficacy, Bynoe said.

“Utilizing adenosine receptors seems to be a more generalized gateway across the barrier,” she added. “We are capitalizing on that mechanism to open and close the gateway when we want to.”

In the paper, the researchers describe successfully transporting such macromolecules as large dextrans and antibodies into the brain. “We wanted to see the extent to which we could get large molecules in and whether there was a restriction on size,” Bynoe said.

The researchers also successfully delivered an anti-beta amyloid antibody across the blood-brain barrier and observed it binding to beta-amyloid plaques that cause Alzheimer’s in a transgenic mouse model. Similar work has been initiated for treating multiple sclerosis, where researchers hope to tighten the barrier rather than open it, to prevent destructive immune cells from entering and causing disease.

Although there are many known antagonists (drugs or proteins that specifically block signaling) for adenosine receptors in mice, future work will try to identify such drugs for humans.

The researchers also plan to explore delivering brain cancer drugs and better understand the physiology behind how adenosine receptors modulate the blood-brain barrier.

RPCI NAMES NEW MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY CENTER

BUFFALO, NY — Nestor Rigual, MD, FACS, has been appointed Medical Director of the Photodynamic Therapy Center at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was developed at RPCI, and the PDT Center is a worldwide leader in its use for treating many types of cancer.

PDT, developed in the mid-1980s by Thomas Dougherty, PhD, Chief Emeritus of the Center, is a targeted anticancer treatment — one that kills tumor cells without permanently damaging surrounding tissue. It involves the administration of a nontoxic drug that settles in tumor cells, followed by the application of laser light to the tumor, thereby activating the drug and killing the cancer. At RPCI, it is used to treat various types of cancer, including cancers of the skin, lung, breast, esophagus, colon and rectum.

Dr. Rigual is a Professor of Oncology in the Department of Head & Neck/Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He will provide leadership in PDT translational research, establish clinical conferences for physicians to discuss protocols and PDT patients, train physicians in the practice of PDT, and develop a new multidisciplinary PDT clinic.

“Dr. Rigual brings expertise, enthusiasm and energy to this new position, and I am confident that he will bring new and innovative ideas to the clinical program in PDT,” said RPCI President and CEO Donald L. Trump, MD, FACP.

Dr. Rigual earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and completed residencies at UB and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

DON’T WAIT FOR THE NEW WARNINGS — QUIT TODAY!

The New York State Smokers’ Quitline, located at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, applauds the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s announced graphic cigarette health warnings. The gruesome pictorial warnings tell the hard truth about smoking in a way that will be hard for smokers to escape.

Importantly, the new FDA warnings also included the government’s 1-800-QUITNOW toll-free phone number, which tells smokers that they have a choice — they can try to quit and get free help to do so. The new labels can be viewed at: http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteWarningLabels/default.htm

However, New York smokers don’t have to wait to get help. Smokers can pick up the phone right now and dial - 1-800-QUIT-NOW and get a free quit guide, a starter kit of nicotine patches or gum (most who call qualify), and support from the expert Quitline coaches. If you’d rather click than call, smokers can go to www.nysmokefree.com.

The Quitline is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 9 a.m. until 5 pm. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.