Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Vaccines in cancer: GVAX®, a GM-CSF gene vaccine

2005; Informa; Volume: 4; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1586/14760584.4.3.259

1744-8395

John Nemunaitis,

Cancer Research and Treatments

GVAX® is a granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene-transfected tumor cell vaccine. Original work with GM-CSF as a recombinant DNA protein (Leukine) involved proliferative stimulation of macrophages and neutrophils for the purpose of reducing hematopoietic toxicity related to dose-intensive chemotherapy. Following US Food and Drug Administration approval of Leukine several years ago, extensive preclinical results have demonstrated an immunostimulatory effect related to GM-CSF gene when transfected into tumor cells and used as a vaccine (GVAX). Tumor regression and prolonged survival was demonstrated in animal models. Toxicology with GVAX indicated no adverse effects, which enabled further testing in cancer patients. A small number of responses were demonstrated in Phase I trials in immunosensitive cancer patients (renal cell carcinoma and melanoma). However, a series of dramatic complete and durable responses in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients, demonstrated in recent clinical trials, have generated interest in further development of this vaccine in nontraditional cancer disease types. The rationale of GVAX development and a summary of clinical results are reviewed.