Renal Cell Carcinoma is a type of advanced kidney cancer that forms in the tubules of the kidney. [1]
Currently, available treatment options for Kidney Cancer:
Surgery to remove the tumor is the standard of care for individuals with stage III or IV clear cell renal cell carcinoma. [2]
Pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, can be used as immunotherapy after surgery. By triggering an immune response, pembrolizumab lowers the chance that the cancer will return. [3]
Nonetheless, there are currently few therapeutic options and a chance of recurrence for roughly two-thirds of individuals. [2,3]
The vaccines, which are intended to teach the body's immune system to identify and eradicate any leftover tumor cells, were given after surgery to remove the tumor.
New Study:
Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report that after starting a personalized cancer vaccine, all 9 patients in a clinical study receiving treatment for stage III or IV renal cell carcinoma (type of kidney cancer) generated an effective anti-cancer immune response.
The vaccines, which are intended to teach the body's immune system to identify and eradicate any leftover tumor cells, were given after surgery to remove the tumor. All patients had developed cancer at the time of the data cut-off (median of 34.7 months). [2]
We're very excited about these results, which show such a positive response in all nine patients with kidney cancer.Toni Choueiri, MD, Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Cancer, Dana-Farber
How does the vaccine work?
The tumor tissue retrieved before surgery serves as a guide for the vaccines, which are personalized to identify each patient's unique cancer. The group identifies the molecular characteristics of the tumor cells that set them apart from healthy cells. These characteristics, known as "neoantigens", are microscopic pieces of mutant proteins that are unique to cancer and absent from all other bodily cells.[2]
Based on their propensity to elicit an immunological response, the team employs predictive algorithms to choose which of these neoantigens to incorporate into the vaccine. After that, the vaccine is produced and given to the patient in two booster shots after a series of initial doses.
The future of cancer science and medicine is promising. Cancer diagnostics are becoming more sophisticated. New technologies, such as spatial transcriptomics, are helping us study tumors at a cellular level. Artificial intelligence-based approaches are beginning to transform cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment decision-making and response monitoring.Patricla M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), President, American Association for Cancer Research
No higher-grade adverse effects were reported; However, some individuals had flu-like symptoms and others had local responses at the injection site.
REFERENCES:
[1] “National Cancer Institute (.Gov).” 2004. Cancer.gov. February 20, 2004. https://www.cancer.gov/types/kidney/patient/kidney-treatment-pdq.
[2] Braun, David A., Giorgia Moranzoni, Vipheaviny Chea, Bradley A. McGregor, Eryn Blass, Chloe R. Tu, Allison P. Vanasse, et al. 2025. “A Neoantigen Vaccine Generates Antitumour Immunity in Renal Cell Carcinoma.” Nature, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08507-5.
[3] Choueiri, Toni K., Piotr Tomczak, Se Hoon Park, Balaji Venugopal, Thomas Ferguson, Yen-Hwa Chang, Jaroslav Hajek, et al. 2021. “Adjuvant Pembrolizumab after Nephrectomy in Renal-Cell Carcinoma.” The New England Journal of Medicine 385 (8): 683–94. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa2106391.
[4] “Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise for Patients with Stage III and IV Kidney Cancer.” n.d. Dana-farber.org. https://www.dana-farber.org/newsroom/news-releases/2025/cancer-vaccine-shows-promise-for-patients-with-stage-iii-and-iv-kidney-cancer.
[5] “AACR Cancer Progress Report Highlights Innovative Research, Novel Treatments, and Powerful Patient Stories.” 2024. American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). September 18, 2024. https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/aacr-cancer-progress-report-highlights-innovative-research-novel-treatments-and-powerful-patient-stories/.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Sanika Dongre/SSK)