Baban, Babak; (1998) The evaluation of a heat-killed suspension of mycobacterium vaccae as an immunomodulating agent in the treatment of cancer. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D.), University College London.

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Abstract

In the view of side effects and many other problems of conventional methods in treating cancer such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, now a days, immunotherapy has appeared as a very important and effective factor in combatting cancer. There have been many attempts to stimulate or regulate the various types of immune responses and to manipulate the immunological processes and diseases. These modulators for the immune system include products of bacteria and viruses and a multitude of chemicals, antigens, antibodies, other cellular and natural products, and cells. The advance in this area has had a revolutionary impact on the thinking and practice of cancer research and treatment. Immunotherapy can mobilises and utilises the body's natural factors and processes; ultimately, to restore the normal states. Since many biological and immunological agents are natural materials and specific for certain processes, they may, therefore, be better than conventional drugs in leaving the normal cells untouched and far more effective in eliminating the defects. Many biological and immunological agents have already been used in clinical trials and have been approved for clinical use. Already researchers are investigating new approaches to minimize the side effects and to maximise the benefits by using different type or mixture of biological agents in cancer patients. Due to the ability of Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae) in stimulating and shifting the immune response toward the beneficial one (TH1 type of immune response) in cancer treatment, in this study, M. vaccae has been used as an immunotherapeutic agent in patients with advanced melanoma and prostate cancer who have failed all other conventional treatments. The effects of M.vaccae on these patients have been assessed both clinically and immunologically. For immunological evaluation, among some other methods which were tried, because of its efficiency, flow cytometry has been used as the main immunological evaluation tool in this sudy. During 18 months, all patients were monitored and followed up very carefully and many encouraging clinical and immunological results were found. Animal models were also used in this study.

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