The world’s first ovarian cancer vaccine, which is being developed in the UK, could stop the deadly disease, researchers say. Scientists at the University of Oxford are developing OvarianVax, a vaccine that teaches the immune system to recognize and attack the early stages of ovarian cancer.
It is hoped that women in the British public health system (NHS) can be vaccinated prophylactically with the aim of eliminating the disease.
Experts suggest it could work in the same way as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which is supposed to eradicate breast cancer.
For the new work, Professor Ahmed Ahmed, director of the ovarian cancer cell laboratory at the MRC Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford, identifies cellular targets for the vaccine.
They will determine which proteins on the surface of early-stage ovarian cancer cells are more recognized by the immune system, and how effectively the vaccine kills miniature models of ovarian cancer in the laboratory.
They will then move to clinical trials in people with BRCA gene mutations (which greatly increase the risk of ovarian cancer) and in generally healthy women to see if the disease could be prevented.
How does the new vaccine work?
Cancer Research UK is funding the study with up to £600,000 (€716,000) over the next three years.
Professor Ahmed said that if the vaccine is successful, he hopes to start seeing effects within the next five years.
When asked if ovarian cancer could be eradicated with the new vaccine, he replied: “Absolutely, that was the aim. We still have a long way to go, but it’s a very exciting time. I’m very optimistic myself.”
For this work, scientists will create the vaccine in the laboratory, with the aim of training the immune system to recognize more than 100 proteins on the surface of ovarian cancer. They will then proceed to test the vaccine in patients with the disease.
Professor Ahmed said: “The idea is that if the vaccine is given, these small tumors will shrink, shrink significantly or disappear. That would give us the signal that the vaccine is working.”
“Now, let’s imagine that everything is going well and that the vaccine really works well. The population that would benefit from this would obviously be BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, as they have a very high chance of developing ovarian cancer. If you give it to him. patients and it’s effective, you get the best health economy and the best cost-effectiveness ratio,” he said.
What are the standard treatments for ovarian cancer?
Currently, there is no screening test for ovarian cancer, which is often diagnosed at late stages because symptoms, such as bloating and lack of appetite, can be vague.
Standard treatment depends on factors such as size, type, location, and whether it has spread. The main treatments are surgery and chemotherapy, but there are also options such as special medicines and hormone therapy.
However, women with BRCA mutations, such as actress Angelina Jolie, are known to be at high risk.
When will the vaccine be distributed?
“I am optimistic because we are talking about preventing the first cancer cells that develop, and not about trying to cure the tumor, treat it or prevent it from coming back. , we will be successful We have been successful with the HPV vaccine – it is very effective,” explained Professor Ahmed.
Although the full timeline for vaccine approval could be “years away,” hopefully the impact will be seen sooner, he said.
He said that through clinical trials, he hopes to start seeing the effects of the vaccine “in four or five years in the healthy population.”
Around 7,500 new cases of ovarian cancer occur each year in the UK, with BRCA mutations accounting for between 5% and 15% of these cases.
2024-10-04 08:47:00
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