Cancer vaccine stimulates immune system to fight against tumour cells

In a recent study, mice were given a shot containing two compounds that stimulate the immune system, injected directly into tumours, resulted in dead cancer cells. The vaccine also destroyed rogue cells from the tumours that had already travelled to other sites in the rodents’ bodies.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, was conducted by Dr. Ronald Levy and his team at Stanford Cancer Institute in California.”The immune system can recognize cancer and kill it, but the cancer is inhibiting the immune cells. If we stimulate the immune cells, we can get them to do their job at the tumour and do the job elsewhere,” Levy said.

The two agents used in the experimental vaccine act on the immune system in different ways. One makes immune system cells work better and prompts them to call in reinforcements, while the other triggers the immune cells to multiply and migrate.

By injecting the two immune-stimulating agents directly into the tumour, the treatment only boosts immune cells that have learned to fight against that particular cancer. So when the immune cells leave the tumour, they only seek out cells from that specific cancer.

The researchers expect to start a small human trial including 15 people with lymphoma soon.

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