Hi Koman,
I will try and answer the best I can. I am sure there are companies out there/independent labs I don't know about or even no one knows about yet. I have seen some platforms that are similar in the fact that they use dendritic cells or a similar delivery method but not the attempt of such a large antigen sensitization like DCVAX, presensitizing activating the immune system at it source(hence using all cells like T, B, and natural killer cells. I just have not run into it in the literature., at least not this far along. What I know of the immune system and cancer fits with what I believe is the best answer and with what NWBO is trying to do. Did they get it, I don't know. I am though taking the risk, a petty big one. Granted I read mostly surgical journals and internet searches for most of my knowledge. My field is surgery and it is hard enough to keep up with changes in treatment and learning new techniques/technologies. Your question to me is valid, no doubt, but I have not seen it. If you educate me I will listen.
When it comes to CTLA I have seen it in action for about the last 10 years. I worked with patients on it when it was in clinical trial in my fellowship. You can get sustained responses, but not usually. I think the literature has response rates as high as 15 %. We saw response rates of 10% at most, and most of those patients eventually progressed and died within 2 years. A smaller percentage have a sustained response(single percents and they do live for many years). Remember to that melanoma is of the most immunogenic cancers. I have multiple patients with stage 4 disease that are alive for many years. Those are the ones I debulk because of low tumor doubling times and benefit from surgery in stage 4 disease. Then you have to consider the horrible side effects in many. Just had a nice gentleman who died while on it a few months ago. He could barely walk to my office. He was once had a full ride to Stanford to play quarterback, quite a demise.
PD-1 is similar in action but more effective. It binds to a different receptor and is on T and B cells. It just takes the brakes of the immune system better. It actually has a little less side effect than CTLA(ipilumimab). Still only about 20-25% response rates. Patients for the most part still don't feel to good. Again the sustained responses are a small subset of the 25%, most it comes back and most die within a few years. Seen it in person many times.
What you read is not always what you see. I know surgeons who write the books who are scary in the OR, not everything is what it seems. I read a fair amount of literature, I have a busy life though and can always learn from someone else if he/she is willing. Definitely did not mean to insult anyone, just trying to help.
I know there are multiple other approaches as well(e.g. virus and bacterial vectors). just not any more impressed with them as I am with PD-1 or CTLA. don't get me wrong. Melanoma went from no treatment but surgery to having something viable, that is awesome. But we have to get better numbers that this. I hate doing these huge surgeries, watching them recover, suffer through treatment and die anyways. It is wearing me down. Like I said I am more hopeful of DCVax, the road it is paving, and it's ability to improve with more knowledge, than anything else I have seen. In the mean time while we are waiting to find out if they have made progress since the older more crude vaccines new targeted therapies will continue to be created because it is easier, works to a well enough degree, and makes money.
Thanks
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