Successfully created new vaccine against 4 types of cancer

Researchers at Tufts University (USA) have created a new cancer vaccine that enhances the immune system's ability to recognize tumor antigens. This method creates a strong immune response and establishes long-term immune memory, reducing the possibility of tumor recurrence.

Unlike traditional cancer vaccines that target specific antigens, the new vaccine uses a mixture of proteins from any solid tumor, eliminating the need to identify tumor-specific antigens.

The vaccine has been tested in animals, showing effectiveness against several solid tumors, including melanoma, triple-negative breast cancer, Lewis lung cancer and inoperable ovarian cancer.

The vaccine, developed by Tufts University biomedical engineering professor Qiaobing Xu and colleagues, builds on previous research on antigen-specific expression. The vaccine uses lipid nanoparticles to carry mRNA into the lymphatic system to enhance the immune response.

“We have significantly improved cancer vaccine design by applying it to any solid tumor that can produce a protein cocktail, even tumors of unknown origin, without selecting mRNA sequences. Then, we add AHCC (a molecule that improves the immune activation of cancer vaccines), which helps introduce protein fragments from cancer cells into the immune response pathway,” said Xu.

Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent infectious diseases caused by bacteria or viruses, cancer vaccines stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack diseased cells. The shots are designed to treat rather than prevent or eliminate existing disease. Several cancer vaccines are available, but they usually target viruses associated with them, such as HPV, which causes cervical cancer.

The key to the effectiveness of new cancer vaccines lies in the ability to efficiently target tumor antigens to the immune system. Typically, the process of capturing and presenting antigens to presenting cells such as macrophages or dendritic cells (which can be considered the “police stations” of the immune system) is slow and inefficient, especially with tumor antigens. To overcome this, the Tufts team developed a two-step approach to enhance the ability to recognize and activate the immune system.

In animal tests on cancers such as melanoma, triple-negative breast cancer, Lewis lung cancer, and late-stage ovarian cancer, the vaccine strongly activated cytotoxic T cells. These cells attack the tumor, helping to slow its growth and prevent metastasis.

"Cancer treatment always requires a comprehensive strategy. Combining cancer vaccines with surgery, chemotherapy and other therapies helps increase the effectiveness of killing cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence in the long term," said Professor Xu.