title: Effect of blockade of the EGF system on wound healing in patients vaccinated with CIMAvax® EGF.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling system is frequently unbalanced in human malignancies due to increased ligand production, receptor overexpression, receptor mutations, and/or cross-talk with other receptor systems. For this reason, the EGFR is an attractive target for anticancer therapy. The epidermal growth factor also plays an important role in regulating multiple facets of cutaneous wound healing, including inflammation, wound contraction, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. In the Center of Molecular Immunology, a cancer vaccine is produced (CIMAvax® EGF) that blocks the binding of EGF to its receptor. This blockade causes a significant inverse association between the anti-EGF antibody titers and EGF concentration. Around 1,500 patients with non-small cell lung cancer have been treated, showing that this vaccine is safe, immunogenic, increases survival and improves quality of life. Taking into account the therapeutic benefits of CIMAvax® EGF vaccination and the role of EGF-EGFR system in the wound healing process, we decided to conduct a retrospective research with the aim of determining the effect to the CIMAvax® EGF vaccine on the wound healing process in patients undergoing surgical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of 452 vaccinated patients were reviewed and only six patients receiving surgical treatment were identified. Further information about these six patients was obtained from source documents, including medical records and operative reports using an observational list that included different variables. Post-surgical wound healing complications were identified using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTC) version 3.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the six patients operated on presented adverse events related to the wound healing, that is to say, no wound dehiscence, wound infection, delayed wound healing, fistula formation, abscess formation or hemorrhage/bleeding associated with surgery during treatment with CIMAvax® EGF occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the use of CIMAvax® EGF does not produce a deleterious effect in the wound healing process.
authors.affiliation: Center of Molecular Immunology, Clinical Research Direction, PO Box: 16040, Havana 11600, Cuba. aymaraf@cim.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Aymara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández Lorente
authors.forename: Soraida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acosta Brooks
authors.forename: Elia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neninger Vinageras
authors.forename: María del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Barroso Alvarez
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilkinson Brito
authors.forename: Mayelin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troche Concepción
authors.forename: Liana B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Martínez Pérez
authors.forename: Carmen E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Viada González
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Crespo Diaz
authors.forename: Angel Raymundo
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Casacó Parada
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: C550107:CIMAvax EGF; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors