Nature Medicine notes that lamellar fibrocystic liver cancer is one of the most dangerous types of malignant tumors. It is a rare cancer that typically affects adolescents and young adults, and there are virtually no effective treatments for it. Therefore, scientists in the United States have begun testing a new approach to treating this disease, based on a vaccine that trains the immune system to recognize and attack cells infected with this type of cancer .
The trial included 16 people aged 12 to 47 with an aggressive form of the disease that was not amenable to surgery. They were given the vaccine along with two immunomodulatory drugs. Of the 12 patients who completed the full initial course of treatment, 9 experienced immune system activation, with their bodies beginning to produce T cells capable of recognizing cancer cells. Three patients experienced tumor shrinkage, while most experienced temporary remission.
The data showed that six participants experienced severe but manageable complications, and no fatalities occurred. Some participants who responded to treatment underwent surgical tumor removal and are now in good health.
The researchers emphasize that their research into this new treatment is still in its early stages, and the vaccine's effectiveness cannot yet be guaranteed. However, the results have shown that even rare and challenging types of malignant tumors can be targeted and treated in a novel way , through an immunotherapy vaccine specifically designed to target the unique "marker" of cancer cells.
