Another Light of Hope

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Xavo
Xavo Member Posts: 364
edited May 2016 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

I sense this study could be very significant. It is probably the first anti-cd47 drug clinical trial on human. So much hope it will be successful:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02216409

in case not knowing what anti cd47 is: http://blog.planprescriber.com/2014/03/28/anti-cd47-cancer-drug/

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  • zarovka
    zarovka Member Posts: 3,607
    edited May 2016

    Thank you for this.

    Immunotherapies are tricky. Cancer cells defeat the immune system by carrying the same markers as normal cells. So if you suppress those markers, then you end up with an autoimmune disease. I'm wondering how this is going to work...

    Certainly the brave souls signing up for the phase I deserve our respect.

    >Z<

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  • Xavo
    Xavo Member Posts: 364
    edited May 2016

    >Z<,  the reason I was excited when I saw this piece of info is that while immunotherapy has been viewed as the most hopeful by the oncology world for qualifying being a cure of cancer, MBC seemed to not be in the group of cancers that have shown impressive efficacy with immunotherapy. Anti CD47 showed cross-boards efficacy in mice with MBC being specified within the most effective group, which is very impressive. As for this Stanford clinical trial, the best candidates are those who have run out options. Anyone who is being treated smoothly and is not running out of options should not consider it. I think this is the normal way for selecting the trials. In general, any first phase trial should be treated with great caution and usually for those who have run out options. In particular with this trial, it is so novel that there is no big pharmacy funding it yet. By nature, immunotherapy is indeed controlled or clinically induced autoimmune reaction. Anyway, my purpose here is not to get patients for the Stanford study, but sharing what is going on. I thought we all like to be informed as much as possible.      

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  • Cure-ious
    Cure-ious Member Posts: 2,626
    edited May 2016

    Thanks Xavo for the link on CD47! It seems the clinical trials are still in early stage and testing it as a single agent, whereas it will probably be most effective when used in combination with other targeted drugs or the (standard) immunotherapy drugs that are already in use. Anti-CD47 is a unique approach to overcome a shield that all cancer cells use to protect themselves from chemotherapy-induced killing or immune system destruction. Phase I trials are ongoing at Stanford, but companies like Celgene and Trillium also have started trials.There is great excitement about the promise of anti-CD47 therapy, and hopefully the pace of these trials picks up later on this year.

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  • zarovka
    zarovka Member Posts: 3,607
    edited May 2016

    Xavo -

    Thank you for bringing up this discussion. I am just scratching my head over immunotherapy generally. It seems like you have to find a gateway compounds that cancer uses to defeat the immune system, but regular cells do not. Otherwise the T-cells start attacking regular cells.

    Obviously it works in mice and so on. There is just something i am not getting.

    Everyone in Phase I trials is very brave and we owe them a lot.

    Thank you again. I love technical discussions of future therapies. When I am not freaked out about having cancer, I am enjoying learning very much.

    >Z<

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