Intravenous administration of the vaccine activates the tumor-fighting immune system in mice, say the researchers
Cancer has its origin in a failure of the immune system, which is unable to eliminate the cancer cells that are continuously forming in our body. Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US National Institutes of Health, tested an experimental therapeutic cancer vaccine in animals that induced a positive immune system response and published their results. . results in the prestigious magazine Cell.
The researchers found that giving the vaccine to mice increased the number of cytotoxic T cells, the immune system’s first line of defense, which are able to infiltrate and attack cancer cells. It also activated the innate immune system by inducing type I interferon, a molecule that signals cells to increase their defenses.
The innate immune response changed the tumor environment, counteracting the suppressive forces produced by the tumors themselves and blocking the action of T cells. However, this change in the tumor microenvironment was not observed in mice that received the vaccine by subcutaneous injection.
The method has been dubbed ‘vax-innate’ by the team of scientists, and is a very important step in the search for more effective cancer immunotherapy vaccines. The study demonstrates that intravenous administration of the vaccine enables and enhances T-cell immunity by overcoming tumor-induced immunosuppressive activity. The researchers say the candidate vaccine could also be given intravenously to people who have already received tumor-specific T cells as therapy. It could also improve tumor control by increasing the number of T cells and altering the tumor microenvironment so they work better, the researchers note.
The pharmaceutical company Vaccitech North America, a participant in the study, has announced plans to push this vaccine for use in the treatment of human papillomavirus-associated cancer in 2023.
REFERENCE
Systemic vaccination induces CD8+ T cells and remodels the tumor microenvironment
