Human trial of an anti-tumour vaccine likely to begin at the end...

Human trial of an anti-tumour vaccine likely to begin at the end of next year
DANIELLE NICASTRI NORTH SHORE TIMES NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Tumour vaccine trial
Jen Millar's dog Sally has liver tumour and has been given a tumour vaccine created at the Kolling Institute at Royal North Shore Hospital. The vaccine seems to be prolonging the life of dogs with advanced cancers. Pictured with Jen is Dr Chris Weir a Kolling Institute Researcher, who developed the vaccine. Source: News Corp Australia
Human trials for a vaccine to treat tumours, developed in St Leonards, are set to begin towards the end of next year.

It marks the next momentous step for the vaccine, which has produced successful results so far in dogs and rats.

The results of a three-year trial in dogs were unveiled in August, which showed the vaccine not only slowed the growth of the original tumour but prevented further tumours developing.

Discovered by Royal North Shore Hospital research lab scientist Chris Weir of the Bill Walsh Translational Cancer Research Laboratory, it involves using a dogs' tumour to produce a unique vaccine for each canine patient.

According to researchers, 84 per cent of the dogs in the trial outlived the average expected survival time for their particular type of cancer, including melanoma, bone and liver cancer.

The vaccines are created using the dog's own tumour to produce a unique vaccine for each patient.

Proud research scientist Chris Weir, who discovered the vaccine, has been working on this for the past eight years at Royal North Shore Hospital's Bill Walsh Translational Cancer Research Laboratory.

He said many vets, dog owners and humans have contacted them since the results were released in August.

"We have had a lot of dogs brought back from death's door," he said.

"We also received heaps of human inquiries and we've had to tell them we're not ready."

Developed through the Kolling Institute in partnership with medical company Regeneus the vaccine for dogs was recently given the green light by health authorities to commercialise the canine vaccine in the US.

"It's an amazing feeling to get your work out there and to actually have a company fully involved and who can see it is working and take it to the next stage," Dr Weir said.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/north-shore/human-trial-of-an-antitumour-vaccine-likely-to-begin-at-the-end-of-next-year/story-fngr8h9d-1226764131947