A new study out of the Netherlands has concluded that an investigational vaccine for the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma is safe. The vaccine’s main agent is an immune system booster rooted in the body’s dendritic cells.

A group of Dutch researchers tested the vaccine, which infuses a patient’s own cells with antigens designed to combat mesothelioma tumor cells. The study was carried out on 10 patients, producing a T-cell response against malignant mesothelioma tumors.

This trial would mark the first time dendritic-cell immunotherapy has been used in patients diagnosed with mesothelioma.

While prognosis in those diagnosed with mesothelioma is typically quite poor, researchers hope that dendritic-cell immunotherapy will not only be able to extend survival rates, but also prevent the development of mesothelioma in those previously exposed to asbestos.

Traditional mesothelioma treatment regimens will typically utilize some combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Even with treatment, mesothelioma patients average only 12 months survival at diagnosis.

The study was published online March 4^th and will appear in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

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