A study published in the scientific journal Cancers on February 15, 2023, brings promising results for the use of vaccines with dendritic cells (a type of immune system cell) in the treatment of patients with gliomas, a common type of tumor that originates in the brain. The study followed 37 patients with glioblastoma or grade IV astrocytoma, both considered severe tumors. The patients received monthly injections of vaccines containing dendritic cells.

Compared to patients who were not vaccinated, study participants had a significant increase in survival time: 75% in the glioblastoma group (from 16 to 28 months) and 200% in the grade IV astrocytoma group (from 20 to 60 months). In addition, seven vaccinated patients remain alive today.

"It was a significant breakthrough in the treatment of these conditions. Better than any other study to date," says Prof. Dr. Guilherme Alves Lepski, first author of the article in Cancers, associate professor of Neurosurgery at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), and researcher at the Laboratory of Experimental Surgery Research (LIM/26), linked to the Hospital das Clínicas (HC).

The doctor highlights that the analyzed patients were compared to recipients of what is considered the "gold-standard treatments", which currently includes surgery, temozolomide chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

"We believe that the new method can be incorporated into a regular glioma treatment plan," says Dr. Lepski. "The next step is to obtain funding for a phase III study [in larger scale]."

Read the full study at: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/4/1239