Effect of blockade of the EGF system on wound healing in patients vaccinated with CIMAvax® EGF

• Published in: World journal of surgical oncology Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 275
• Main Authors: Fernández Lorente, Aymara, Acosta Brooks, Soraida, Neninger Vinageras, Elia, Barroso Alvarez, María del Carmen, Wilkinson Brito, Barbara, Troche Concepción, Mayelin, Martínez Pérez, Liana B, Viada González, Carmen E, Crespo Diaz, Tatiana, Casacó Parada, Angel Raymundo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 15-10-2013; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Acquisitions & mergers; Aged; Antibodies; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cancer vaccines; Cancer Vaccines - therapeutic use; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - immunology; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - metabolism; Cardiovascular disease; Care and treatment; Clinical trials; Complications and side effects; Drug dosages; Epidermal growth factor; Epidermal Growth Factor - antagonists & inhibitors; Epidermal Growth Factor - immunology; Epidermal Growth Factor - metabolism; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health aspects; Hospitals; Humans; Lung cancer, Non-small cell; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - immunology; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Male; Manufacturing; Medical records; Middle Aged; Patient outcomes; Postoperative period; Prognosis; Proteins; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - immunology; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - metabolism; Regulatory agencies; Retrospective Studies; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Studies; Substance abuse treatment; Surgery; Viral antibodies; Wound healing; Wound Healing - drug effects; Cuba
• ISSN: 1477-7819; 1477-7819
• DOI: 10.1186/1477-7819-11-275

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling system is frequently unbalanced in human malignancies due to increased ligand production, receptor overexpression, receptor mutations, and/or cross-talk with other receptor systems. For this reason, the EGFR is an attractive target for anticancer therapy. The epidermal growth factor also plays an important role in regulating multiple facets of cutaneous wound healing, including inflammation, wound contraction, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. In the Center of Molecular Immunology, a cancer vaccine is produced (CIMAvax® EGF) that blocks the binding of EGF to its receptor. This blockade causes a significant inverse association between the anti-EGF antibody titers and EGF concentration. Around 1,500 patients with non-small cell lung cancer have been treated, showing that this vaccine is safe, immunogenic, increases survival and improves quality of life. Taking into account the therapeutic benefits of CIMAvax® EGF vaccination and the role of EGF-EGFR system in the wound healing process, we decided to conduct a retrospective research with the aim of determining the effect to the CIMAvax® EGF vaccine on the wound healing process in patients undergoing surgical treatment.
Medical records of 452 vaccinated patients were reviewed and only six patients receiving surgical treatment were identified. Further information about these six patients was obtained from source documents, including medical records and operative reports using an observational list that included different variables. Post-surgical wound healing complications were identified using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTC) version 3.0.
None of the six patients operated on presented adverse events related to the wound healing, that is to say, no wound dehiscence, wound infection, delayed wound healing, fistula formation, abscess formation or hemorrhage/bleeding associated with surgery during treatment with CIMAvax® EGF occurred.
These results suggest that the use of CIMAvax® EGF does not produce a deleterious effect in the wound healing process.