Review Article

Current Immunotherapeutic Approaches in Pancreatic Cancer

Table 1

Peptide vaccines.

PatientsPeptide vaccineAdjuvantResponseRef.

10 resected and 38 advanced pancreatic canerMutant K-ras peptideGM-CSFImmune response to the peptide vaccine showed prolonged survival compared to nonresponders. [56]
K-ras-specific T cells were selectively accumulated in the tumor.

24 resected pancreatic cancerMutant K-ras peptideGM-CSFNo elicitable immunogenicity and unproven efficacy was observed.[57]

16 resected or locally advanced pancreatic cancer100 mer MUC1 peptideSB-AS2 adjuvantDetectable MUC1-specific humoral and T-cell responses were detected in some patients.[59]

6 advanced pancreatic cancer100 mer MUC1 peptideIncomplete Freund's adjuvantOne patient showed a tendency for increased circulating anti-MUC1 IgG antibody.[58]

48 advanced pancreatic cancerTelomerase peptideGM-CSFImmune responses were observed in 24 of 38 evaluable patients. [60]
One-year survival for the evaluable patients in the intermediate dose group was 25%.

11 advanced pancreatic cancePersonalized peptide vaccineThe 6- and 12-month survival rates for patients who received >3 vaccinations ( ) were 80% and 20%, respectively.[62]

23 resected pancreatic cancerMutant ras long peptideSeventeen of 20 evaluable patients (85%) responded immunologically to the vaccine. [65]
Ten-year survival was 20% (four patients out of 20 evaluable).

1 liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer refractory to gemcitabineSurvivin peptideThe patient initially underwent partial remission of liver metastasis which proceeded after 6 months into a complete remission with a duration of 8 months.[40]