Phase I Clinical Trial Using Autologous Ex Vivo Expanded NK Cells and Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes for Cancer Treatment in Vietnam

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 20; no. 13; p. 3166
• Main Authors: Liem, Nguyen Thanh, Van Phong, Nguyen, Kien, Nguyen Trung, Anh, Bui Viet, Huyen, Truong Linh, Thao, Chu Thi, Tu, Nguyen Dac, Hiep, Doan Trung, Hoai Thu, Do Thi, Nhung, Hoang Thi My
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28-06-2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antigens; Apoptosis; Blood Transfusion, Autologous - methods; cancer; Cancer therapies; Cell culture; Cells, Cultured; Colon; Colon cancer; Colonic Neoplasms - therapy; Colorectal cancer; cytotoxic T lymphocytes; Cytotoxicity; Dendritic cells; Female; Females; Gender; Humans; immune cell therapy; Immune system; Immunotherapy - methods; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Killer Cells, Natural - transplantation; Leukocytes (mononuclear); Liver cancer; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - therapy; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Male; Males; Middle Aged; Mortality; natural killer cells; Patients; Peripheral blood; peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Studies; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - transplantation; Vietnam; Japan; peripheral blood mononuclear cells; natural killer cells; cancer; cytotoxic T lymphocytes; immune cell therapy
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20133166

(1) Background: Immune cell therapy recently attracted enormous attention among scientists as a cancer treatment, but, so far, it has been poorly studied and applied in Vietnam. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of autologous immune cell therapy for treating lung, liver, and colon cancers-three prevalent cancers in Vietnam. (2) Method: This was an open-label, single-group clinical trial that included 10 patients with confirmed diagnosis of colon, liver, or lung cancer, conducted between March 2016 and December 2017. (3) Results: After 20-21 days of culture, the average number of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) increased 488.5-fold and the average cell viability was 96.3%. The average number of natural killer cells (NKs) increased 542.5-fold, with an average viability of 95%. Most patients exhibited improved quality of life, with the majority of patients presenting a score of 1 to 2 in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (ECOG/PS) scale, a decrease in symptoms on fatigue scales, and an increase in the mean survival time to 18.7 months at the end of the study. (4) Conclusion: This method of immune cell expansion met the requirements for clinical applications in cancer treatment and demonstrated the safety of this therapy for the cancer patients in Vietnam.