Preliminary results
This technique has been shown to be effective in various types of cancer including advanced stages in veterinary medicine. It has also shown efficacy in various types of human cancers although the series is short and inhomogeneous. This action has been achieved without systemic side effects.
We have demonstrated that immunotherapy by purification of autologous proteins on hydroxyapatite particles has an effect on antigen-presenting cells through its two components:
- Autologous proteins act on CD91 and participate in CD8 cross-priming.
- Hydroxyapatite powders stimulate inflammasomes and synthesisecertain chemokines, lymphokines, interleukins or growth factors that also play a major role in the immune response to be synthesised.
Pilot study in human health
In 2007, a pilot study carried out under the aegis of the ethics committee of the Argentine Cancer Research Foundation reported the first results of 20 human patients treated for various advanced solid tumour cancers for whom existing therapies were unsuccessful. The treatment was prepared from at least 1 cm3 of tumour; its objects were:
- purifying the tumour antigens associated with certain HSPs by chromatography on an HA column,
- to use HA as a source of attraction for CPAs and
- to use HA as an active vector for presenting the tumour Ag/HSP complexes to the patient's CPAs.
The characterisation of the purification steps showed the presence of antigen/HSP complexes in the treatment doses. Without any systemic toxicity, the authors reported 25% of patients in a stable state, 15% in partial response, and 20% in remission.
Animal health data
We conducted a double-blind study in a series of dogs with high grade B-cell lymphoma (HBCL) to explore the efficacy of our treatment in combination with conventional chemotherapy. The series was divided in two groups.
One group treated with a chop protocol associated with autologous immunostimulant therapy prepared from the tumour (group 1), the second group treated only with a CHOP protocol (group 2).
The results of this trial showed that the autologous vaccine is safe and effective in prolonging the median TTP (304 days vs 41 days) and the median LSS (505 days vs 159 days) in dogs with HBCL when used in combination with high-dose chemotherapy.
Marketed as an extemporaneous veterinary medicinal product, this treatment has also been used in indications of melanoma, osteosarcoma, and various other solid tumours.