Cancer Vaccine Institute at the University of Washington

Congratulations to our very own CVI Founder and Director Dr. Mary (Nora) Disis for being honored as the 2024 Inventor of the Year by UW Medicine! This award is the culmination of over two decades of persistent work. Dr. Disis began investigating the immune response to cancers when many did not believe there was one. Her systematic investigation and discoveries slowly unveiled novel data and mechanisms that have led to the development of cancer vaccines, which are now in phase II clinical trials and making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients. Join the celebration in our latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/grCxwpWw Photo Credits: Jim Bennett #InventorOfTheYear #Trailblazer #CancerVaccines

"What would it feel like living with cancer and working in a space where I’m trying to help advance cancer therapies?" On the SHE MD Podcast, CVI Executive Director Dr. Kiran Dhillon recounted her experience of receiving a diagnosis for the very disease she had been studying throughout her professional career. Now, she’s looking to prevent breast cancer using vaccines through research at the Cancer Vaccine Institute. "Once I started, the overwhelming feeling was hope and joy at looking at the results…I’m inspired by the work we’re doing," Dr. Dhillon said. She said we can expect to see the first FDA-approved breast cancer vaccine in the next 5 to 8 years. But achieving this requires everyone at the table: collaborators, funders, regulators, patients, government, pharma, and the broader public. This is why the partnership with groups such as the Cancer Vaccine Coalition is crucial. Co-guest Kristen Dahlgren, CEO of the Cancer Vaccine Coalition, shared how vaccine research inspired her to leave her media career and focus on helping advance the field — with the goal of bringing these to every patient in need. Listen to Dr. Dhillon and Dahlgren’s journeys in fighting and finding a cure for cancer on the SHE MD Podcast, hosted by Dr. Thais Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney: https://lnkd.in/g429ZPAY #BreastCancer #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #CancerVaccines

Our very own CVI Founder and Director Dr. Mary (Nora) Disis was recently featured in the The Wall Street Journal as a leading researcher on the development of cancer vaccines. “It’s like the little train that could has finally reached the top of the hill,” she told WSJ. Read more about the history, science, and various studies across the nation on cancer vaccines via WSJ: https://lnkd.in/gu9wZidz

Last week, the UW School of Medicine honored Mary (Nora) Disis with its 2024 Inventor of the Year Award for her work on cancer vaccines and #CoMotionSupported commercialization efforts. Read our recap of the award ceremony and CoMotion Innovator Showcase. https://bit.ly/3NotaXA photo credit: Jim Bennett University of Washington - School of Medicine Cancer Vaccine Institute at the University of Washington University of Washington Bioengineering Yingye (Cheri) Fang #UWinnovates

On Wednesday, October 9 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT, our very own Dr. Kiran Dhillon, CVI Executive Director, will share the promise of cancer vaccines for breast and ovarian cancers at the summit for Sharsheret: The Jewish Breast & Ovarian Cancer Community. She will speak on the latest scientific developments alongside Kristen Dahlgren, CEO of the Cancer Vaccine Coalition, and Susan Domchek, Executive Director of the Penn Medicine Basser Center for BRCA. RSVP for the online seminar: https://lnkd.in/gN8vmcNS

“It’s like drinking from a fire hose with how fast science is advancing,” says CVI Director Dr. Mary (Nora) Disis, beaming with delight as she discusses how vaccines for cancer are closer to reality than we think. Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women and causes 42,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Scientists are currently in a race to create a world where cancer can be managed, treated, and ultimately prevented by vaccines. Led by Dr. Disis, the CVI has been developing a vaccine for HER+ breast cancer that has shown remarkable results in its early clinical trials. 75 to 85 percent of patients with Stage III and IV cancer were still alive 10 years later after getting the vaccine. Without the vaccine, we would only expect half the patients to be alive after four and a half years. Check out this in-depth piece on InvestigateTV that features Dr. Disis, Bridgette Hempstead, a breast cancer vaccine recipient and founder of Cierra Sisters, and Kristen Dahlgren, CEO of the Cancer Vaccine Coalition: https://lnkd.in/g9FQswFT #BreastCancer #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #CancerVaccine

ICYMI 📣 Monday October 7 is In Concert for Cancer's Annual Benefit Show at Seattle’s Jazz Alley! Community supporters like In Concert for Cancer allow our team at CVI to develop safe and effective vaccines to treat and prevent the most common and deadly cancers. Thank you for supporting CVI again this year.

Ovarian cancer is often called the “silent killer”, being the deadliest gynecologic cancer and difficult to detect early. With over 19,880 new cases and 12,810 deaths each year in the U.S., the need for effective and non-toxic therapies is urgent. At the Cancer Vaccine Institute, we are committed to developing innovative vaccines that treat ovarian cancer, prevent recurrence, and prevent the disease. Here's a look at our vaccines in development: 📍 IGFBP-2 Vaccine: Targeting a protein that promotes metastasis, this DNA vaccine has shown promising long-term safety and efficacy in early trials, with over 50% of patients surviving 8 years post-treatment. Importantly, one-third of vaccinated patients never experienced a recurrence of their cancer. These exciting results have led to a Phase II randomized clinical trial that will open shortly. 📍 OVAC4 Vaccine: This next-generation vaccine aims to trigger a stronger immune response by targeting multiple ovarian cancer proteins. Currently in preclinical trials, it's expected to enter human trials soon. 📍 STIC Vaccine: Designed to prevent ovarian cancer by targeting precancerous cells in the fallopian tubes, offering hope for those at high risk due to family history or genetics. We hypothesize that if we train the immune system to recognize these cells as a threat, we may be able to prevent the development of ovarian cancer and provide disease protection for years. Listen to one of our ovarian cancer patients Jamie Crase and her experience in participating in a CVI clinical trial: https://lnkd.in/gVJyfgkK #OvarianCancer #OvarianCancerAwarenessMonth #CancerVaccines