Study shows promise in the combined transplant-vaccine therapy
In a study conducted by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists, the researchers found that high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or advanced myelodysplasia (a blood disorder) patients who received a cancer vaccine shortly after a stem cell transplant not only had few complications but also mounted a strong immune system attack on the disease. Moreover, the rate of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a potentially severe aftereffect of immune system-based therapies, was no higher than with that from stem cell transplants alone. The study is to be published in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the week of August 24.
