A new mRNA-based vaccine that triggers a response from the innate immune system is heading to human trials, with the potential to help arm the body against cancer in all forms. The experimental vaccine, which has shown promising results in lab mice, aims to boost the body’s production of type-I interferons – immune messengers that play important roles in controlling inflammation and spotting cancerous tumors.
The vaccine works by stimulating the innate immune system rather than the adaptive immune response, which is typically targeted by cancer vaccines. This approach could be particularly useful for “cold” tumors, types of cancer that usually don’t trigger a strong immune response.
In a series of experiments, researchers demonstrated that this early interferon activity is vital to common forms of cancer treatment, called immune checkpoint inhibitors. These treatments rip the breaks off of immune cells so they maintain a high level of activity and kill off cancer efficiently.
The universal vaccine has been shown to work in combination with checkpoint inhibitors alone, as well as on its own in mouse models of other cancers. The researchers are now testing the vaccine in human trials, which will investigate its safety and effectiveness in patients with recurrent cancers.
According to Dr. Elias Sayour, the study’s senior author, this approach could be revolutionary for how we bridge therapy and manage patients. “The idea that something could be available immediately, albeit in a nonspecific way… could be revolutionary,” he said.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/health/cancer/universal-cancer-vaccine-heading-to-human-trials-could-be-useful-for-all-forms-of-cancer