RAH in world-first cancer purification trial to help patients’ cells fight cancer

Meet the world’s first patient to have his blood cleansed to remove cancer growth cells and help turbocharge his immune system.

A world-first trial in Adelaide is taking blood from cancer patients, purifying it through a new hi-tech device then pumping it back, in the hope it can improve the body’s own natural ability to fight tumour cells.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital has treated the first patient as part of a trial of 18 patients in Australia and the United States to see if a Hemopurifier device can weaken cancer cells.

Grandfather of four Iliano Puccini, 75, from Glenelg North was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2020 and is having blood taken via a catheter in a large vein, pumped through the cleansing device then returned to his body over the course of four hours.

His blood is being filtered to remove tiny particles called exosomes which may be involved in allowing cancer cells to grow and replicate.

Laboratory experiments indicate the Hemopurifier can reduce the number of exosomes in plasma by 92 to 99 per cent.

The hairdresser whose family emigrated from the Italian isle of Elba when he was eight months says he feels great.

“When they said I would be the first in the world to be on it as a cancer patient I felt very privileged,” he said.

“I have not had any adverse reactions and I actually feel great — I hope it works for me and for other people. I am very grateful.”

Nurse Jing Zhang, patient Iliano Puccini, oncology registrar Abbey Le Blanc and Professor Michael Brown. Picture: Keryn Stevens.

Patients are eligible if they have a solid tumour cancer which has not improved or changed while using the medications pembrolizumab or nivolumab which turbocharge the body’s immune system to fight cancer.

At present only 30 to 40 per cent of patients who receive pembrolizumab or nivolumab will have lasting clinical responses.

Study principal investigator and Director of the RAH Cancer Clinical Trials Unit Professor Michael Brown said the immunotherapy medications “unleash the power of the immune system to attack cancer cells in the body but unfortunately these medications only work in the minority of patients”.

“This important study will allow us to examine whether the use of this new device can help restore the ability of a patient’s immune system to fight off these cancer cells,” he said.

“If purifying the patient’s blood works as intended, then the Hemopurifier might help the patient’s own immune cells regain control over tumour growth, providing the best hope that the patient’s tumours shrink, allowing cancer patients to live longer as a result.”

RAH Director of Kidney and Islet Transplantation, Professor Toby Coates said the technology is an excellent example of using RAH renal dialysis expertise for the benefit of patients with cancer.

Originally published as RAH in world-first cancer purification trial to help patients’ cells fight cancer