A new study has revealed promising results from an off-the-shelf vaccine that may help prevent the return of pancreatic and colorectal cancer. The vaccine, called ELI-002 2P, was given to patients who had undergone surgery for these types of cancer. Researchers found that those who mounted an immune response to the vaccine lived longer and had a lower risk of their cancer returning.
The vaccine works by training the body’s immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells with specific mutations. In the study, 90% of patients with pancreatic cancer and 50% of those with colorectal cancer had these mutations in the Kras gene. The vaccine contains peptides that help train T-cells to target these mutated proteins.
While the results are encouraging, experts note that the study has limitations, including a small number of participants and no controls. However, the findings suggest that this off-the-shelf vaccine could be a more accessible and potentially less toxic alternative to current treatments. Further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness in larger trials.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/aug/11/off-the-shelf-vaccine-pancreatic-bowel-colorectal-cancers-study