Scientists pioneer fecal transplant capsules to improve pancreatic cancer treatment

Scientists pioneer fecal transplant capsules to improve pancreatic cancer treatment

Scientists at the Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) of the Research Institute of St. Joseph's Health Care London and London Health Sciences Center (LHSCRI) are the first in the world to study fecal transplants using capsules containing microbes from the intestines of healthy volunteers to improve the response of patients with advanced abdominal cancer to chemotherapy.

Pancreatic cancer has a poor five-year survival rate of approximately 10 percent and will be the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada in the next few years. In this study we want to offer patients a new, innovative treatment. “

Dr. John Lenehan, scientist at LHSCRI and medical oncologist at the Versspeten Family Cancer Center at the London Health Sciences Center (LHSC)

Research has shown that cancerous tumors have their own community of bacteria, viruses and fungi that help the cancer defend itself from conventional treatments such as chemotherapy. Early preclinical studies suggest that fecal transplants performed via the innovative capsules – known as LND101 – could alter the microbial composition of the tumor and make it more receptive to conventional therapy.

In this new Phase I safety study, the research team will test the treatment over two years in a small group of cancer patients recruited from the Versspeden Family Cancer Center at LHSC. The process, called fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), involves taking stool from carefully healthy donors, processing it in the laboratory, and creating tasteless, odorless capsules that are provided to patients participating in the study. The goal is to improve the patient's microbiome (the collection of healthy microorganisms in the human body), which strengthen the body's immune response and potentially make chemotherapy effective.

"We will study how the gut bacteria of pancreatic cancer patients change after treatment with fecal transplants using the capsules and how this affects their immune system. Our goal is to determine whether a successful shift in the gut microbiome is associated with a better response to chemotherapy," says Saman Maleki, PhD, scientist at LHSScri.

The Lnd101 pills were pioneered and are produced in Lawson and show promise in treating various cancers, including melanoma, through studies on Lawson and LHSCRI. The Trailblazing FMT team at St. Joseph’s is led by Lawson scientist Dr. Michael Silverman, Medical Director of the Infectious Disease Care Program, and Lawson Associate Scientist Seema Nair Parvathy, PhD.

“Previous studies led by Lawson and LHSCRI have shown that the treatment is safe in other cancers and appears to result in improved responses to conventional therapies in patients with advanced melanoma, lung cancer and renal cell carcinoma,” says Parvathy, research director of the FMT program at St. Joseph’s. “We hope to achieve similar success in patients who have advanced pancreatic cancer.”

Parvathy emphasizes the critical role of poop donors in this groundbreaking area of ​​cancer research. For more information, call 519-646-6100, ext. 65739 or email Liesl de Silva at [email protected].

The study is funded by the London Health Sciences Foundation and the Weston Family Foundation.

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