Abstract 6685: A retrospective observational study of telomerase peptide immunotherapy in heavily treated solid cancer patients

Abstract

Background: Telomerase is an active enzyme that produces and maintains telomere which is located at the end of chromosomes. In general, telomere become shorter as the number of cells divide increases, leading to apoptosis. However, telomerase prolongs and maintains the length of the telomere so that tumor cells continue proliferation without cell death. When the telomerase is reduced, the telomere DNA is not produced and maintained and the chromosomes become shorter and shorter. Telomerase is not well observed in normal cells and known to act as a specific antigen by over-expression in various cencer cell types. The riavex(GV1001) which is 16 amino acid sequences from the telomere combines with HLA classI to induce an immune response through activates the CD4 T cell.

Methods: We analyzed 50 patients who were injected riavex. The riavex was provided through the application for emergency medication from the korea food and drug administration. Most patient who were given riavex failed several standard chemotherapy. The administration methods was injected riavex 0.2mili-liter in intradermal three times at first week and one time at 2weeks, 3weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and then once per 28 days. A total of 12 doses were given to each patient. After the end of the administration, we evaluated anti-tumor response by RECIST 1.1 and quality of life by EORTC QLO-C30 and EQ-5D.

Results: Partial response was founded in one patient with renal cell carcinoma. The rest of the patients showed a stable or progress response. However, quality of life was significantly improved in 19 patient and fifteen of them have applied for re-treatment. Only three patients had a fever of more than 38 celsius degree and no significant side effects were observed in other patients

Conclusion:, Riavex as a anti-cancer vaccine is relatively safe to heavily treated solid cancer patient and is assessed to improve quality of life, although the treatment response is not promising.

Keywords: Telomerase, Riavex, Quality of life, Safety

Citation Format: Jonggwon Choi. A retrospective observational study of telomerase peptide immunotherapy in heavily treated solid cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6685.