Venezuela: Dr. Jacinto Convit develops a vaccine against cancer of breast, colon and stomach.

A specialist in inmunology, Dr. Jacinto Convit, who works for the Institute of Biomedicine in Caracas, Venezuela, has announced significative progress in the development of what he calls an autogenous vaccine, for the treatment of cancer of breast, colon and stomach.

The inoculation is made up of three basic elements: BCG, formaliter and dead cancer cells . "Due to the use of this last ingredient, the autogenous vaccine can not be produced in series, but it is completely personalized."

According to the press release signed by the Institute itself, in order to clarify doubts and confussions due to the enthusiasm generated by this new,

"Over the past three years, the Institute of Biomedicine has been evaluating a small group of 23 cancer patients, mostly from breast cancer and isolated cases of colon cancer, stomach and brain. With the informed consent form signed by each of these patients, an experimental model of immunotherapy has been applied to them, which has yielded encouraging results and effectively, is free to the patient."

Within this group of patients we found two types: 1) A group who underwent chemotherapy by their treating oncologists (a sample of the tumor removed and then subjected to chemotherapy) 2) Those who refused to be treated with chemotherapy. In both cases, these patients have been referred by their oncologists, who have been duly informed. Similarly, several of the most important Venezuelan institutions accredited in this area have been notified about this immunotherapy model, proposed by a group of researchers from the Institute of Biomedicine.

This vaccine, is characterized for being an autogenous vaccine, since it is made from the patient's own tumor cells. In orden to prepare it, it is required 1 gram of tumor cells, which are combined with the product known as BCG, which has been widely used in the fight against tuberculosis and leprosy, for several decades, with very good results and has also been used in bladder cancer and as adjuvant in the immunotherapy of leishmaniasis."

Dr. Convit, who is 97 years old, is famous worldwide for discovering the vaccine against leprosy, which earned a nomination for the Nobel prize in 1988 (in that year, the Nobel in Medicine was won by Gertrude Elion and George Hitchings, for their work on the treatment of disease and organ transplantation.)

During the interview in which he revealed his progress, Convit said his only interest now is to lead to the Institute of Biomedicine enough patients in need of this vaccine, to move from experimental to massive application. To this end, the patient must have a medical report from his treating oncologist, who endorses the application of the autogenous vaccine. This document will be received at the Institute of Biomedicine for analysis, and thus select who will be treated. This vaccine is free.
Despite Convit not being interested in obtaining recognition for their work, the Venezuelan community has expressed enthusiasm in getting Convit to be nominated again to the Nobel that escaped from his hands in 1988.

Source: Institute of Biomedicine (ES)

El Tiempo: Jacinto Convit seeks new treatment against cancer (ES).

Source of the featured image:

B0006421 Breast cancer cells
Credit: Annie Cavanagh. Wellcome Images
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A cluster of breast cancer cells showing visual evidence of programmed cell death (apoptosis).
Scanning electron micrograph
2006 Published: -

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