New vaccine delays aggressive brain tumor recurrence.

An experimental vaccine called SurVaxM has shown promise in delaying the progression of glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and treatment-resistant cancers. The vaccine targets a protein found in tumors called survivin, which is thought to play a role in the survival of cancer cells. In an early clinical trial, SurVaxM was found to extend survival time for people diagnosed with the brain cancer to 26 months, on average. The drugmaker, New York-based MimiVax, is enrolling patients in a larger trial to confirm the results. The vaccine works by training the immune system to target and attack the cancer cells, preventing a new tumor from growing.