An interdisciplinary group at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston is working to create a personalized vaccine for oral cancer.
Angela Yoon, DDS, Jason Newman, MD, and Shikhar Mehrotra, PhD, aim to create a vaccine that will prevent cancer recurrence, according to an Aug. 29 news release.
The project involves isolating and expanding immune cells and injecting them back into a patient so the cells can respond if the cancer returns. If the process is shown to work, Dr. Yoon expects that patients would need an annual injection of the vaccine.
The group plans to apply for investigational new drug approval from the FDA. They will then apply for a grant to begin clinical trials.