An experimental mRNA vaccine that supercharges existing cancer treatments could be laying the groundwork for a “universal” cancer vaccine, according to the team behind the breakthrough.
Scientists at the University of Florida tested the innovation in mice and found it provoked a strong antitumor response when paired with immunotherapy. The surprising part was that the vaccine achieves this not by targeting a specific type of tumor, but by giving the immune system a general helping hand, meaning it could be applied to pretty much any type of cancer.
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Cancer vaccines sound like a utopian dream, but they’re not a new concept. mRNA vaccine technology in particular – though many of us associate it with COVID-19 – has been changing the game when it comes to vaccine research in oncology.
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Adding the vaccine to a treatment regimen was able to induce T cells to respond to a tumor that had previously been resisting treatment. In some of the experiments, an mRNA formulation alone was enough to treat the cancer, sometimes eliminating the tumor altogether.
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