Scientists from the University of Oxford, the Francis Crick Institute and University College London (UCL) are using the same technology that created AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine to create LungVax - a vaccine that activates the immune system to kill cancer cells and stop lung cancer.
The vaccine works by using a DNA sequence to train the immune system to recognize and destroy “red flag” proteins, or mutated antigens, in lung cancer cells. These new antigens appear on the cell surface due to cancer-causing mutations in the cell’s DNA.
The team has been awarded £1.7 million ($2.14 million) in funding from charities including Cancer Research UK and the CRIS Cancer Foundation to produce 3,000 doses of the vaccine.
If the experimental LungVax triggers an immune response in a lab setting, the vaccine would move into clinical trials and then be tested in high-risk people.
People at high risk may include people aged 55-74 who currently smoke, have smoked and those eligible for lung health checks in parts of the UK.
According to data from Cancer Research UK, there are around 48,500 cases of lung cancer in the UK each year, 72% of which are caused by smoking. Meanwhile, fewer than 10% of people with lung cancer are still alive 10 years after diagnosis, said Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani of UCL and the Francis Crick Institute, who is leading the LungVax clinical trial.
LungVax is a "really important step forward" towards a future where more cancers can be prevented, said Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.
"The science that has successfully brought the world out of this pandemic can also help us move towards a future where people can live longer, better lives without the fear of cancer. We are in a golden age of research and this is one of many projects that we hope will change the survival of people with lung cancer," said Michelle Mitchell.
This research complements existing efforts through lung screening to detect cancer earlier in those most at risk. LungVax may also offer a possible route to preventing some cancers that are detected at an early stage. However, Professor Jamal-Hanjani stressed that the optimal solution to reducing the risk of lung cancer is to stop smoking.
Minh Hoa (t/h according to VTV, Vietnam+)
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