‘Universal cancer vaccine’ breakthrough claimed by experts

Scientists have taken a “very positive step” towards creating a universal vaccine against cancer that makes the body’s immune system attack tumours as if they were a virus, experts have said.

Writing in Nature, an international team of researchers described how they had taken pieces of cancer’s genetic RNA code, put them into tiny nanoparticles of fat and then injected the mixture into the bloodstreams of three patients in the advanced stages of the disease.

The patients’ immune systems responded by producing “killer” T-cells designed to attack cancer.

“However, more research is needed in a larger number of people with different cancer types and over longer periods of time before we could say we have discovered a ‘universal cancer vaccine’. But this research is a very positive step forwards towards this global goal,” she said.

Of course it could be the fat that was injected too… it is early days still but it does sound promising so let’s hope lots of effort goes into this further research.

Scientists believe they have found a way to make a universal cancer vaccine

Researchers have found a way to persuade the body’s immune system to attack tumours – and it is largely free from side effects