New vaccine formula allows targeting and killing cancer cells: Study

By altering the formula, the vaccine doubles the number of T-cells, which are a form of white blood cell, and makes it easier to target tumors.

A laboratory assistant working on a vaccine formula (Northwestern University)

Scientists at Northwestern University in Illinois claim that their newly-developed technology could inject a “powerful weapon with which to kill cancer” into a vaccine making it able to eventually kill cancer. By altering the formula, the vaccine doubled the amount of T-cells which are a form of white blood cell, which targets tumors.

For their trials, the team at Northwestern University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology concentrated on different types of cancer and used the same vaccine formula, but the one variable was a different protein that “clips” on.

Vaccines consist of an antigen and an adjuvant, which is a substance meant to boost strength and effectivity, which conventional vaccine formulas allow to blend together. However, the team fixated on the fact that the components alone should have their importance as well.

Thus, the locations of the adjuvant and antigen were switched-up using chemistry and nanotechnology, which aided the immune system in locating and targeting tumor cells. In turn, the T cells were doubled in number, making it more feasible to attack the cancer, and releasing 30% more of the same cells.

‘Ready before 2030’

Numerous cancer studies and trials have made small breakthroughs throughout the past year.

Back in October, Ugur Sahin and Olem Türeci, the husband and wife team who are the co-founders of BioNTech, the German company that collaborated with Pfizer to develop the mRNA Covid vaccine, said they had made breakthroughs that fueled their optimism for cancer vaccines in the coming years.

Professor Türeci described how the mRNA technology at the heart of BioNTech’s Covid vaccine could be repurposed to prime the immune system to attack cancer cells rather than invading coronaviruses. Rather than carrying a virus identification code, the vaccine contains genetic instructions for cancer antigens, which are proteins found on the surfaces of tumor cells.

When asked when cancer vaccines based on mRNA might be ready for use in patients, Professor Sahin said “before 2030.”