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Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), in the United States, have developed an experimental vaccine that can prevent the emergence of several types of cancer, including melanoma, pancreatic cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. Published in the scientific journal Cell Reports Medicine, the study points out that the technology could represent a historic advance in preventive immunization against tumors.
According to the British newspaper Daily Mail, the vaccine uses nanoparticles formed by fat molecules, responsible for carrying two adjuvants — substances that stimulate the immune system. In tests carried out on mice, up to 88% of vaccinated animals remained tumor-free, depending on the type of cancer. Furthermore, the treatment reduced or completely prevented the spread of the disease throughout the body.
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In the experiments, the scientists combined the nanoparticles with an antigen, a molecule that activates the immune response against cancer cells. After immunization, the mice were exposed to different types of tumor.
Among animals vaccinated against melanoma, 80% remained free of the disease and survived for more than 250 days. Those who received traditional vaccines or were not immunized developed tumors and died within 35 days.
The team also tested a second version of the vaccine, based on tumor lysate (a mixture of cancer cell fragments), and obtained similar results: 88% of mice with pancreatic cancer were free of the tumor; 75% of those with triple negative breast cancer did not develop the disease; 69% of those exposed to melanoma also remained healthy.
Vaccines generally contain two components: the antigen, which teaches the immune system to recognize the enemy, and the adjuvant, which reinforces this response. In the case of the new technology, the nanoparticles perform both functions, presenting the antigen and, at the same time, stimulating the body to react intensely against cancer cells — training the body to eliminate them before they form tumors.
According to Professor Prabhani Atukorale, biomedical engineering researcher and main author of the study, the objective is to transform vaccination into a cancer prevention strategy, not just a treatment strategy. “The results are very exciting and show a possible way to prevent tumors from forming,” co-author Griffin Kane told 404 Media.
Despite their optimism, the researchers emphasize that the work is still in the pre-clinical phase. To accelerate development and begin human trials, the team created a startup called “NanoVax Therapeutics”.
In the future, scientists believe that the technology could be adapted for different types of cancer and applied preventively, especially in people with a genetic predisposition or family history of the disease.
