February 4th marks World Cancer Day. According to statistics reported by the American Cancer Society, every year 17 million people will be diagnosed with cancer. Furthermore, 9.5 million deaths are attributed to cancer annually.
As part of the EU-funded ULISES project, we’re excited to use the PIRCHE technology to contribute to the development of a novel immunotherapeutic cancer treatment where cancer cells are programmed with the maximum number of epitope mismatches between their HLA and those of the rest of the patient’s body. This process identifies which epitopes the body is most capable of recognizing and fighting.
Such an approach has several advantages in comparison to traditional cancer therapies. As an example, ULISES constitutes a “natural” treatment which is free from the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Future relapses are also mitigated thanks to the “vaccine effect” of immunological memory which is developed by the patient’s immune system through this innovative treatment.
Cancer can be beaten! So while we’ll take the day to remember those we’ve lost to this disease, we also look with hope to a future where cancer is permanently curable.
All the best and happy matching,
The PIRCHE Team