Two groundbreaking studies published in Nature offer fresh hope in the fight against kidney and pancreatic cancer. For the first time, personalized cancer vaccines—designed to train the immune system to recognize and destroy remaining tumor cells—have shown long-term success in human trials.
Two studies have presented encouraging results for a novel personalized vaccine aimed at delaying the recurrence of kidney and pancreatic cancer. Dr. Ruth Peretz, director of the Oncology Day Care Unit at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam), calls the findings “very encouraging,” though she cautions that the vaccines are still in early stages of development. She points out that personalized cancer vaccines may do more than extend life—they could offer a cure.
Personalized Kidney Cancer Vaccine
In one study scientists from leading institutes including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Yale Cancer Center, and Harvard Medical School found that a personalized vaccine for patients with advanced kidney cancer elicited a strong immune response. The study involved nine patients, all of whom were at high risk for disease recurrence following surgical tumor removal and immunotherapy. The vaccine was developed using neoantigens—unique protein fragments derived from each patient’s tumor. The result: a 166-fold increase in cancer-fighting T-cells within three weeks. All nine patients remained cancer-free for an average of three years, with minimal side effects.
“Patients with Stage 3 or 4 kidney cancer have a high risk of disease recurrence,” explains Peretz. “Most treatments aim to extend life, but this approach may lead to a full recovery for patients with advanced kidney cancer. So far, results are encouraging, but further evidence is needed.”
Peretz cautions that this personalized approach presents significant challenges. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” she says. “The manufacturing process is complex, and previous efforts have failed at the production stage. To achieve widespread use, these production hurdles must be overcome.”
Three-pronged Strategy to Pancreatic Cancer
A second study published in Nature described a Phase-1 clinical trial conducted at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center in collaboration with international partners. It explored a combination therapy for pancreatic cancer—one of the deadliest and most treatment-resistant cancers.
Following surgical removal of tumors, patients received a single dose of atezolizumab (a PD-L1 inhibitor), followed by eight doses of a personalized mRNA vaccine based on selected neoantigens from each patient’s tumor. Treatment concluded with chemotherapy. The goal of this combination therapy was to stimulate a targeted and rapid immune system response to eliminate any remaining cancer cells and prevent recurrence.
“Pancreatic cancer is a frustrating disease,” says Peretz. “Until now, immunotherapies haven’t shown much promise. But in this study, patients who responded to the vaccine lived significantly longer. That suggests the vaccine has a real biological impact.”
While the study lacked a control group and involved only a small number of patients, the findings provide compelling early evidence. Although broader trials are still needed, the early signs are promising.
Looking Ahead
Peretz notes that Israel–and Rambam in particular—is an active participant in cutting-edge cancer vaccine research. “Although these particular studies were not conducted in Israel, Rambam has already been involved in a joint trial with Moderna for a cancer vaccine,” she says. “Israel is helping lead the way.”
Combined, both studies represent a new frontier in oncology, suggesting that personalized cancer vaccines may one day become a vital complement to surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.
Based on an article that first appeared on YNet
