Researchers have developed a groundbreaking vaccine showing strong preclinical results against several cancers, with human trials on the horizon.
Cancer mortality rates have declined steadily over the past 25 years, driven by advances in treatments and diagnostics. Yet, it remains a leading cause of death, claiming over 157,000 lives in France alone in 2018.
Global labs are racing to develop preventive and curative solutions, including vaccines. Significant strides are underway.
Two years ago, a study in Science Translational Medicine by Stanford University researchers demonstrated that injecting two immunostimulants directly into tumors triggered immune recognition and destruction of cancer cells in mice.
Though not a traditional vaccine, this injectable approach elicits a robust immune response, paving the way for human studies.
Last year, early Phase 1 results for a colorectal cancer vaccine—targeting one of France's most common cancers with 43,336 new cases in 2018—were published in the Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer. All colorectal tumors express the GUCY2C molecule, which this vaccine targets effectively.
Scientists at Australia's Translational Research Institute, partnering with the University of Queensland, have unveiled another innovative vaccine, detailed in Clinical and Translational Immunology.
This vaccine targets breast, lung, kidney, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, plus blood cancers like myeloid leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and pediatric leukemias.
Like many vaccines, it delivers tumor-specific proteins to train the immune system, creating memory cells that recognize and eliminate cancer cells upon re-exposure. Preclinical tests confirmed successful protein delivery and immune activation in human cells and mouse models.
The team now plans first-in-human clinical trials.
Lead researcher Kristen Radford highlights its advantages: "It can be produced as a standard clinical-grade formulation, overcoming financial and logistical hurdles of personalized vaccines." She adds, "This prototype targets key tumor cells to maximize efficacy while minimizing side effects."
