Hear, hear, all you smoldering hot folks! A “peptide ‘cocktail’ elicits immune response to multiple myeloma”

Okay, this is an incredibly exciting bit of news (thanks, Terry!). Dana-Farber researchers have put together a “cocktail” of immune-stimulating peptides they believe could provoke the body’s defenses to attack multiple myeloma in its early “smoldering” phase and slow or prevent the blood cancer. See: http://goo.gl/klNfI 

Immunotherapy (= getting the body’s immune system to recognize cancer cells as “foreign” and then unleash a defensive reaction against them) thus far has been using only one peptide, which is a piece of a protein from the myeloma cell itself, to bump the immune system into action. But one peptide alone just hasn’t done the job. One of the big problems with myeloma, in fact, is its sneaky ability to behave like the shapeshifters in the TV series “Supernatural,” that is, its many ways of avoiding detection by the immune system. You can read more details in the above article… 

But things seems to be moving, finally. The Dana-Farber team has managed to identify FOUR myeloma peptides, which they’ve mixed inside a lethal-to-myeloma-cells cocktail. How about that???

I’m very happy to point out that this cocktail cannot and will not be tested on animals. It will be administered to early-stage, untreated, smoldering myeloma patients. 

So hey, hand over that cocktail, will ya? I’ll give it a try!!! Actually, I’d like to know a bit more about it first…but doesn’t it sound promising??? 🙂

15 Comments

  1. I believe that this research is through a related company, OncoPep — that is hoping to begin trials in 2012. It appears, however, that the vaccine will be given only to people who have immune system type HLA type A2 (although this type is the most common in the U.S.)

    http://www.fiercevaccines.com/story/oncopep-vax-aims-stop-multiple-meyloma-it-starts/2011-05-05

    I would certainly greatly greatly greatly prefer an immunomodulatory approach — over the hyperagressive, toxic sledgehammer VRD approach that my soon-to-be-ex oncologist is advocating for SMM (which in his mind, is the same as Stage 1)

  2. Let’s pass around the “cocktails”, and oh, what a fine New Year we will have!

    Here’s to a Merry Christmas and a healthier new year!

    Lisa

  3. Hey!
    I HOPE this is a great news.
    I underwent a similar immuno-therapy back in 2008 at dr. Nikolaus Klehr in Salzburg in Austria. He’s originally a German and also has his “clinic” in Munich, Germany. His idea is basically autologous target cytokine (ATC) therapy . He takes a patients blood and then he mixes up the cultures of a tumor and white blood cells in a lab (in vitro). Then he “harvest” “trained” cytokines (that can now recognize hidden tumor cells) and inject them back to patient’s body. Acctually I had to inject myself alone – 40 ampules in three months period. After first two weeks spent in Salzburg (daily infusions for 6 hours) my freelite ratio improved dramatically. But that was all! Besides the injection stress every two or three days (don’t remember) I had to have blood check-ups every week! My veins were all perforated and very painful. I also had various side-effects. Tiredness, skin issues, often viral infections, urination problems… And after the promised three months treatment I got another 40 ampules to inject. Another three months. Each dosage was about 2500 EUR. Add to that 2500 for each week spent at his “clinic” – 6 hours per day, plus accommodation and food, plus travel costs to Salzburg and back (700km)… Crazy!! And after 6 months things went worst again! I was supposed to take another 40 ampules, but I refused. I ran out of money and trust. And I wasn’t the only one, a real media chase started against that doctor in our country led by relatives whose patients died after a lot of money spent and promises of getting better given.
    But of course, this is just an example of a scientifically unproven therapy. No connection to the issue discussed above. Just a share of my own experience with you, dear Margaret’s blog readers. And what fallows is a great experience with a curcumin! Thank you Margaret!! 🙂 And a very happy and healthy new year to all!

  4. Correction!
    I meant to write: “…by relatives of those patients who died…” instead of “…by relatives whose patients…”. Sorry – I’m Slovene 🙂

  5. some peptids appear in the urine and as we know even
    some small proteins like Bence Jones.
    In the Burzynski anticancer method these peptides and
    their metabolites act as Antineoplastons and allegedly
    fight cancer.
    another association, in Ayurvedic Urinotherapy people drink their own urine to fight chronic diseases.
    to use this therapy the person has to be free from the use of ANY prescription medication because no one will tell you what are the metabolites that appear in
    the urine as you use a prescription drug and what are their possible influences.
    I tell the information as it is without suggestions,
    everyone can do the research and decide for
    herself/himself (and I wish we could all consult Oncologists who are also Ayurvedic doctores)

  6. Ron!
    Thanks for your question, I hope Margaret won’t mind the answer.
    I started with curcumin few months after that fiasco I wrote about. I also take homeopathic remedies as well as some Ayurvedic supplements the Ayurvedic doctor prescribed me. But those I only take for one year now, curcumin I started in 2009 with, I think. Well, in my case its going up and down with the freelite ratio all the time. As with the general condition, too. I’ve noticed that not just stress, but also the autumn period affects me the worst, actually the summer-fall pass. Anyway – I started with 3 grams of curcumin, now I’m on 8 since September. I have a BMP next week, the last was in November 2010 and it showed 13% of plasma cells in it, in 2007 there was only 11%. My Dg is still MGUS. So – go figure! But generaly I’m doing fine with curcumin and homeopathy.
    Regards!

  7. Big news today reported today in the financial news. Oncopep in conjunction with Dana Farber Cancer Institute
    is one step closer to starting clinical trials with this vaccine–they are just waiting for FDA approval. I hope to smolder long enough to be a volunteer.

  8. Found the storyhttp://contractservices.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/news/oncopep-signs-license-agreement-with-dana-farber-for-cancer-vaccine-technology-140212

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