Immunotherapy
UMass Amherst nanoparticle vaccine prevents cancers in mice
Iniulat ng AI
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.
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.
Research highlights lymph nodes' role in enhancing cancer immunotherapy
New studies reveal that preserving lymph nodes during cancer surgery could improve patient responses to immunotherapy by supporting key immune cells. Led by the Peter Doherty Institute, the research emphasizes lymph nodes' crucial function in training T cells to fight tumors. The findings, published in Nature Immunology, suggest rethinking surgical practices to boost treatment effectiveness.
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines linked to longer survival in some lung and skin cancer patients on immunotherapy
Heather Vogel Fact checked
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.
Weaponised CAR T-cell therapy eradicates prostate tumours in mice
Researchers have developed a modified CAR T-cell therapy that completely eliminated large solid prostate tumours in mice, offering hope for treating solid cancers in humans. The approach localises immune-stimulating proteins to tumours, avoiding damage to healthy tissues. Clinical trials could begin within two years.