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Idiotype vaccines for lymphoma: proof-of-principles and clinical trial failures

Nature Reviews Cancer volume 9, pages 675–681 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The clonal immunoglobulin idiotype displayed on the surface of most malignant B cells is a patient- and tumour-specific antigen that can be used for therapeutic vaccination. Several studies have confirmed the biological efficacy of soluble protein idiotypic vaccination and two clinical trials have shown the clinical efficacy of this procedure. One study has demonstrated clinical benefit associated with idiotypic vaccination. However, three randomized clinical trials have recently failed to achieve their main end points for reasons that are probably unrelated to the vaccine. While scepticism towards this type of non-toxic medical intervention is mounting, such patient-specific treatments might yet see the light of day through better designed clinical trials.

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Figure 1: Relapse-free survival curves of the first trial to prove clinical benefit of idiotypic vaccination.

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Acknowledgements

The work at the Center for Applied Medical Research of the University of Navarra, Spain, is supported by the Unión Temporal de Empresas project Fundación para la Investigación Médica Aplicada, and the work at the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA, is supported by the Bobbie and Leo Fields Family Fund for Medical Research.

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  1. Maurizio Bendandi is at the Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain, the University of Navarra Hospital, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain, and the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390–8590, USA. mbendandi@unav.es; Maurizio.Bendandi@UTSouthwestern.edu,

    Maurizio Bendandi

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Bendandi, M. Idiotype vaccines for lymphoma: proof-of-principles and clinical trial failures. Nat Rev Cancer 9, 675–681 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc2717

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