Immunotherapy
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines linked to longer survival in some lung and skin cancer patients on immunotherapy
Heather Vogel Fakten geprüft
A large retrospective study from the University of Florida and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, published in Nature, reports that patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer or metastatic melanoma lived significantly longer if they received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 mRNA shot within 100 days of starting immune checkpoint inhibitors. The authors stress the findings are observational and will require confirmation in randomized trials.
MIT engineers stealth CAR-NK cells for cancer therapy
Scientists from MIT and Harvard have developed engineered CAR-NK immune cells that evade the body's defenses to target cancer effectively. This advancement could enable off-the-shelf treatments available immediately after diagnosis, bypassing weeks of personalized cell production. The cells showed strong results in mouse tests, destroying most lymphoma cells without triggering severe side effects.
mRNA covid vaccines may boost cancer immunotherapy survival
An analysis of nearly 1,000 cancer patients shows that mRNA covid-19 vaccines, given soon after starting immune checkpoint inhibitors, nearly doubled survival times for advanced lung and skin cancers. The findings, presented at a medical congress in Berlin, suggest an unexpected immune boost from the vaccines. A clinical trial to confirm these results is set to begin before year's end.
Immune drug reduces risk of Merkel cell carcinoma spread
A large clinical trial has shown that the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab may help prevent the deadly spread of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, after surgery. While it did not significantly reduce overall recurrence rates, the treatment lowered the risk of distant metastases by 42%. The findings offer hope for patients facing this fast-developing disease.
UMass Amherst nanoparticle vaccine prevents cancers in mice
Von KI berichtet
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a nanoparticle-based cancer vaccine that prevented melanoma, pancreatic, and triple-negative breast cancers in mice. Up to 88% of vaccinated mice remained tumor-free, with the vaccine also stopping metastasis. The approach uses a 'super adjuvant' to trigger strong immune responses.