An experimental mRNA vaccine developed at the University of Florida has shown the ability to supercharge the immune system and shrink tough-to-treat tumors in mice — even without targeting a specific cancer type.
A study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, suggests the vaccine could one day serve as a universal cancer treatment, especially when paired with existing immunotherapy drugs like checkpoint inhibitors.
Instead of zeroing in on cancer mutations, the UF team designed the vaccine to mimic how the body fights viruses. This sparked a strong immune response, making the tumors easier for the body to recognize and attack — especially when paired with a common cancer drug that helps the immune system do its job.
"This is a proof of concept that even a nonspecific mRNA vaccine can produce tumor-specific effects," said Dr. Elias Sayour, the UF pediatric oncologist who led the study. "It hints at the possibility of a broadly effective, off-the-shelf cancer vaccine."
The strategy builds on Sayour's work using targeted mRNA vaccines in brain cancer patients. This time, researchers used a generalized version of the vaccine, similar in design to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines but aimed at jumpstarting immune activity rather than targeting a virus or tumor.
In mice with skin, bone, and brain cancers, the vaccine — especially when paired with a drug that helps the immune system find and fight tumors — had a powerful effect. In some cases, the tumors disappeared completely.
Co-author Dr. Duane Mitchell called the approach a new paradigm in cancer immunotherapy.
"We're not targeting the cancer directly," said Mitchell, a neurologist and brain tumor specialist. "We're provoking the immune system into action — and it's working."
The vaccine appeared to revive dormant T-cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the body recognize and kill infected or abnormal cells, allowing them to multiply and kill cancer cells.
Researchers believe this broad stimulation of the immune system could be key to fighting tumors that typically resist treatment.
The UF team is refining the formulation and preparing for human trials, with the goal of developing a universal cancer vaccine that could complement — or even replace — surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
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