PDF Version for Printing
The articles referenced in this Highlights section will be available online in HTML and PDF formats to all interested users at no charge until the next issue of Cancer Research is published. Click on the article title to view the complete article.
View the Table of Contents for the March 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
Osenga et al. Page 1750
Children with advanced stage or refractory neuroblastoma have a poor prognosis. The hu14.18-IL2 immunocytokine, consisting of the hu14.18 anti-GD2 mAb linked to human interleukin 2, specifically targets neuroblastoma and other GD2-positive tumors, is active in tumor-bearing mice, and merits clinical testing. Osenga et al. reported that the Children’s Oncology Group conducted a phase I clinical trial using hu14.18-IL2 as a treatment for children with refractory or recurrent neuroblastoma. Treatment with hu14.18-IL2 was well tolerated with reversible toxicity and showed evidence of immune activation/modulation. The maximal tolerated dose was 12 mg/m2/day. This agent shows promise as a treatment for children with recurrent or refractory neuroblastoma.
Gagnon et al. Page 1850
Irinotecan is used in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. The UGT1A1 metabolizing enzyme, expressed in liver and colon, is primarily involved in the inactivation of SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan. Gagnon et al. explored the role of DNA methylation in silencing UGT1A1 gene expression in colon cancer and its influence on cellular SN-38 detoxification. The results of their study indicate that DNA methylation represses UGT1A1 expression in colon cancer and that this process may contribute to the level of tumoral inactivation of the anticancer agent SN-38 and potentially influence clinical response.
Page 1768
CA9 antigen has been considered a promising therapeutic target for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A phase I trial of HLAA24-restricted peptide vaccination was conducted in patients with cytokinerefractory metastatic RCC to assess both toxicity and capability to induce immune responses of the three peptides (CA9p219-227, p288-296, p323-331). The treatment of 23 patients with CA9-peptide vaccines was well tolerated and induction of antigen-specific immunity was observed in most of the patients. Although a limited number of selected patients were treated, a promising clinical response was obtained, suggesting this treatment could be used as an active specific immunotherapy for RCC.