Mayo Clinic Partners in Study of Drug That May Bolster Immune System

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A new drug that could help cancer patients by stimulating their immune system is being tested by Mayo Clinic in conjunction with the Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGen) and Scottsdale Healthcare.

Clinical trials are being conducted at Mayo and Scottsdale Healthcare to study the drug, VTX-2337, which is a new, novel, small molecule aimed at activating immune cells in the blood and lymph nodes surrounding a tumor.

The Phase 1 trial, a year-long test in humans, will focus on the drug's safety. If successful, Phase II will test the drug's effectiveness in treating tumors.

Cancer — and its treatment — can weaken the body's immune system by affecting the blood cells that protect humans against disease and germs, according to the American Cancer Society. The body then has a difficult time fighting infection. The hope is that the new drug will prompt a cancer patient's immune system to slow down the growth of tumors — or even shrink them.

It is believed that the drug will work by tricking the body's immune system into attacking the cancer, which is what the immune system typically does when attacking a bacterial infection.

According to Peter Cohen, M.D., Mayo Clinic researcher in Hematology/Oncology, the drug mimics a bacterial signal that basically alerts the body about a potentially life-threatening event, such as infection. Immunotherapy, notes Dr. Cohen, has long been studied as a strategy to fight cancer.

Researchers are hopeful that this new molecule may play an important role in humans and have broad application in the treatment of cancer.

Information about the clinical trial at Mayo Clinic is available by calling 480-301-9875.

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Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is one of only 39 U.S. medical centers that have been named as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Center. To receive this designation, an institution must meet rigorous standards demonstrating scientific excellence and the ability to integrate diverse research approaches to address the problem of cancer. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is the only national, multi-site center with the NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Center designation. In Arizona, Mayo's clinical and research experts work together to address the complex needs of cancer patients, with a dedication to understanding the biology of cancer; discovering new ways to predict, prevent, diagnose and treat cancer; and transforming the quality of life for cancer patients today and in the future.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers and 46,000 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, the three locations treat more than half a million people each year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. For information about research and education visit www.mayo.edu. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.