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In a significant stride for medical science, researchers are eyeing mRNA vaccine technology as a potential breakthrough in the battle against cancer, the second-leading cause of fatalities in the United States. This innovative approach leverages the same principles that enabled the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna, but with a distinct purpose: targeting cancer after its onset.
Andrew Pekosz, a professor and vice chair at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, highlighted this promising development in a recent briefing. These mRNA vaccines, unlike their COVID-19 counterparts, are categorized as “therapeutic vaccines.” Rather than preventing disease, their role is to treat cancer by enhancing the body’s immune response once the disease is detected.
The concept is to create a vaccine that identifies and targets specific proteins unique to cancer cells. “Once cancer develops, you can design a vaccine targeting unique proteins and other markers presented by cancer cells,” Pekosz explained. This strategy aims to boost the immune system, enabling it to attack these cancer-specific antigens effectively.
This cutting-edge research holds potential not just for improving cancer treatment outcomes but also for transforming the way cancer is managed, marking a hopeful turn in the fight against this formidable disease.
While some cancers have common antigens, mRNA technology could make personalized vaccines a reality. A physician could take a sample from a patient’s cancer cells and design a vaccine that targets their specific cancer.
“The speed in which you can make them is really unparalleled,” Pekosz said.
The vaccines are in early development, but are incredibly promising Pekosz said.
“I think the future there is really bright,” agreed Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist and professor at Johns Hopkins.
Gronvall reminded the audience there are currently two vaccines that do work to prevent cancer: the hepatitis B vaccine given to babies and the HPV vaccine for preteens and teenagers. “There is every reason to think that mRNA will be used as a platform to prevent both of those cancers and possibly others.”
Another promising advance in the fight against cancer is being studied at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, reports Nexstar’s KXAN. Researchers there at working on a chemotherapy drug that tricks the body into fighting cancer like it fights off a virus.