A cancer treatment developed at the University of Montana (UM) has entered Phase 1 human clinical trials, marking a significant step in the fight against cancer. The treatment, developed at the Center for Translational Medicine in partnership with Inimmune, a Missoula-based biotechnology company, leverages the body's immune system to combat cancerous cells.
The drug was initially conceived as a vaccine for influenza. Researchers discovered its potential in cancer therapy by observing its ability to stimulate the immune system. "We have found that some of those compounds have applications outside of just vaccines," said professor Jay Evans, co-founder of the center. The treatment is administered intravenously, aiming to enhance the body’s natural immune response to target and eliminate cancer cells.
Harnessing the Body's Natural Defenses
The approach focuses on retraining the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, similar to how it fights infections. "So all we’re doing is trying to retrain the immune system to do what it was already designed to do," explained professor David Burkhart, the other co-founder of the center. "You’re harnessing the natural anti-cancer mechanism of the body."
Collaborative Innovation
The collaboration between UM and Inimmune has been crucial to the project's success. Inimmune licensed the compound and provided grants totaling $33 million to support the research. This funding enabled the center to conduct rigorous testing across its three interconnected laboratories, ensuring the treatment's safety and effectiveness.
The development process involves medicinal chemistry for molecule design, formulations in analytical chemistry to ensure compatibility with the human body, and immunology to test safety and effectiveness with human cells. "How it’s delivered to the body has a huge impact on its bioavailability and its toxicity, its activity… So that’s a big part of what our group, our team, does," Burkhart said.
First Patient and Future Prospects
The first patient in the clinical trial is a 54-year-old woman battling advanced breast cancer. The researchers emphasize the personal significance of this milestone. "This is a real person who has a family, who has kids, maybe, has all these people around them that are hoping for them to get better," Burkhart said. "And so it’s when you start treating real patients that you are suddenly like, ‘Wow. We want so bad for this to help.’"
