Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Transarterial Administration of Oncolytic Viruses for Locoregional Therapy of Orthotopic HCC in Rats
Published on: April 15, 2016
Randomized phase I/II study of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor peptide vaccines for patients with
Yoko Yoshimaru1, Katsuya Nagaoka1, Kentaro Tanaka1
1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Aim:
We evaluated the safety and efficacy of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-targeted peptide vaccines for the immunization of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who had responded to transarterial chemoembolization.
Methods:
Twenty-two patients were randomized 1:1 to receive VEGFR-targeted peptides or placebo. The primary end-point was the safety assessment of the immunization. The secondary end-points were evaluation of immunological responses and clinical outcomes.
Results:
No severe adverse events were induced by the study agents. Among the 12 patients in the vaccine group, a VEGFR1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response was induced in eight (66.7%) patients and a VEGFR2-specific CTL response was induced in 10 (83.3%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 4.8 and 52.0 months, respectively, in the vaccine group, and 2.7 and 21.8 months, respectively, in the placebo group. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups (PFS p = 0.925, OS p = 0.190). When divided into two groups according to immunoreactivity, the median PFS of patients with and without a strong immune response to VEGFR1 were 7.4 and 2.7 months, and that to VEGFR2 were 10.6 and 2.7 months, respectively; there were significant differences according to the immune response.
Conclusions:
Immunotherapy with peptide vaccines targeting VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 was well tolerated with no serious adverse events. It also effectively induced peptide-specific CTLs in patients with unresectable HCC.
Insights
VEGFR-targeted peptide vaccines were safe and induced immune responses in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. While overall survival and progression-free survival did not differ significantly, strong immune responses correlated with improved outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Vaccine Development
Background:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant global health concern.
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR) plays a crucial role in tumor angiogenesis and progression.
- Targeting VEGFR offers a potential therapeutic strategy for unresectable HCC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of VEGFR-targeted peptide vaccines in patients with unresectable HCC.
- To assess the immunological responses induced by the vaccines.
- To determine the impact of vaccination on clinical outcomes, including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 22 patients with unresectable HCC who had responded to transarterial chemoembolization.
- Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either VEGFR-targeted peptide vaccines or a placebo.
- Primary endpoint was safety; secondary endpoints included immunological response and clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- Vaccination was well-tolerated, with no severe adverse events reported.
- A significant proportion of patients in the vaccine group developed VEGFR1-specific (66.7%) and VEGFR2-specific (83.3%) cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses.
- While no statistically significant differences in median PFS or OS were observed between vaccine and placebo groups, patients with a strong immune response to VEGFR1 or VEGFR2 demonstrated significantly longer PFS.
Conclusions:
- VEGFR-targeted peptide vaccines are safe and immunogenic in patients with unresectable HCC.
- The induction of peptide-specific CTLs suggests a potential mechanism for therapeutic benefit.
- Correlation between strong immune response and improved PFS warrants further investigation in larger trials.
More Related Videos
12:42Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
Published on: January 7, 2019
10:18Author Spotlight: Magnetic Fluorescent Bead-Based Dual-Reporter Flow Analysis of PDL1-Vaxx Peptide Vaccine-Induced Antibody Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 Interaction
Published on: July 7, 2023
