[Ricardo]

Revlimid and vaccination

by Ricardo on Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:48 pm

There was a research article published just recently that suggests Revlimid (aka lenalidomide) may improve the efficacy of vaccinations for things like the flu. Here is the link:

http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/12/1078-0432.CCR-11-1221.abstract

And here's more information (basically what's at the link):

Lenalidomide-Induced Immunomodulation in Multiple Myeloma: Impact on Vaccines and Antitumor Responses.

Noonan K, Rudraraju L, Ferguson A, Emerling A, Pasetti M, Huff CA, Borrello I.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate that the immunomodulatory drug, lenalidomide, can be utilized in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma to augment vaccine responses.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Early phase clinical trial of multiple myeloma patients that received at least one prior therapy. Patients were treated with single agent lenalidomide and randomized to receive two vaccinations with pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV) on different schedules. Cohort A received the first PCV vaccination prior to the initiation of lenalidomide and the second vaccination while on lenalidomide. Cohort B received both vaccinations while on lenalidomide.

RESULTS: PCV-specific humoral and cellular responses were greater in Cohort B than A, and were more pronounced in the bone marrow than the blood suggesting that maximal vaccine efficacy was achieved when both vaccines were administered concomitantly with lenalidomide. Patients with a clinical myeloma response showed evidence of a tumor-specific immune response with increases in myeloma-specific interferon-gamma+ T-cells and reductions in Th17 cells.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first clinical evidence demonstrating that lenalidomide augments vaccine responses and endogenous antitumor immunity in patients and as such may serve as an adjuvant for cancer and possibly infectious vaccines.

Can anyone who is a bit better at understanding these things explain exactly what was done in the study and what the implications are?

My understanding is that the authors think that their results may mean that Revlimid generally improves the impact of vaccines. Therefore, it may be useful to use Revlimid to improve the impact of cancer vaccines or even vaccines for things like the flu.

[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: Revlimid and vaccination

by Nancy Shamanna on Sat Jan 14, 2012 4:59 pm

Thanks Ricardo...that is an interesting finding! I did have my 'non live' vaccines a year ago, while taking maintenance chemo with Revlimid...perhaps those shots took well!