19-Peptide Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise in Refractory Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
A mixed 19-peptide cancer vaccine produced peptide-specific immune responses correlating with survival in refractory triple-negative breast cancer patients, with a median survival of 24.4 months in completers.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Peptide-specific IgG responses correlated with overall survival (P < .01), and median OS was 24.4 months in the 10 patients who completed vaccination — notable for refractory mTNBC.
Key Numbers
n=14; 19 peptides; weekly x 6 weeks; mOS 11.5 mo (all) / 24.4 mo (10 completers); IgG-OS correlation p<0.01; no severe AEs
How They Did This
Phase II single-arm clinical trial, 14 patients, weekly vaccination for 6 weeks, immune response monitoring via peptide-specific IgG, survival analysis.
Why This Research Matters
Triple-negative breast cancer has the worst prognosis and fewest treatment options. A 24.4-month median survival in refractory patients is remarkable for this population.
The Bigger Picture
This trial provides early evidence that multi-peptide cancer vaccines can produce meaningful immune responses and survival benefits even in heavily pretreated TNBC patients.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Very small single-arm trial (14 patients) without a control group. Selection bias in the completer analysis. Early phase data.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would a randomized controlled trial confirm the survival benefit?
- ?Can biomarkers like CRP identify patients most likely to benefit?
- ?Could this vaccine be combined with checkpoint inhibitors for enhanced efficacy?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 24.4 months Median overall survival in the 10 refractory mTNBC patients who completed the 19-peptide vaccination schedule
- Evidence Grade:
- Early phase II single-arm trial with very small sample (14 patients). Promising survival data but requires randomized confirmation.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2020. Peptide-based cancer vaccines for TNBC continue to be developed.
- Original Title:
- Early phase II study of mixed 19-peptide vaccine monotherapy for refractory triple-negative breast cancer.
- Published In:
- Cancer science, 111(8), 2760-2769 (2020)
- Authors:
- Toh, Uhi, Sakurai, Sayaka, Saku, Shuko, Takao, Yuko, Okabe, Mina, Iwakuma, Nobutaka, Shichijo, Shigeki, Yamada, Akira, Itoh, Kyogo, Akagi, Yoshito
- Database ID:
- RPEP-05167
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a peptide cancer vaccine?
A mixture of small protein fragments (peptides) from tumor-associated proteins is injected to train the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. This vaccine used 19 different peptides to broaden the immune response.
What is triple-negative breast cancer and why is it hard to treat?
TNBC lacks the three receptors (estrogen, progesterone, HER2) that most breast cancer drugs target. This makes it resistant to hormonal and HER2-targeted therapies, leaving chemotherapy as the main option. When chemo fails, treatment options are extremely limited.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/RPEP-05167APA
Toh, Uhi; Sakurai, Sayaka; Saku, Shuko; Takao, Yuko; Okabe, Mina; Iwakuma, Nobutaka; Shichijo, Shigeki; Yamada, Akira; Itoh, Kyogo; Akagi, Yoshito. (2020). Early phase II study of mixed 19-peptide vaccine monotherapy for refractory triple-negative breast cancer.. Cancer science, 111(8), 2760-2769. https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.14510
MLA
Toh, Uhi, et al. "Early phase II study of mixed 19-peptide vaccine monotherapy for refractory triple-negative breast cancer.." Cancer science, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.14510
RethinkPeptides
RethinkPeptides Research Database. "Early phase II study of mixed 19-peptide vaccine monotherapy..." RPEP-05167. Retrieved from https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/toh-2020-early-phase-ii-study
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkPeptides research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.