A new experimental mRNA vaccine could boost the immune system’s ability to fight cancer and improve the effectiveness of existing treatments, according to an animal study published July 18 in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
The vaccine utilizes messenger RNA (mRNA), the same technology that powers the first COVID-19 vaccines. Instead of targeting viruses, this approach activates the body’s innate immune system — its first line of defense — to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Researchers say this broad immune activation could help treat existing tumors and reduce the risk of recurrence.
Different from traditional vaccines
Most vaccines, such as the seasonal flu shot, train the immune system to detect unique proteins on viruses and prevent infection. Cancer vaccines follow a similar principle, but aim to identify proteins specific to tumors. Their purpose is not prevention, but to eliminate existing cancer and stop it from returning after treatment.
Personalized cancer vaccines have shown promise, but are a challenge to manufacture quickly. Tumor proteins often differ between patients, and making tailored vaccines can take months. During that time, tumors can mutate and subsequently evade treatment.
“It can be months from the time you get a patient’s specimen to when they actually have a personalized therapy,” said study senior author Dr. Elias Sayour, a pediatric oncologist at the University of Florida Health.
“The idea that something could be available immediately, albeit in a nonspecific way … could be revolutionary for how we bridge therapy and how we manage patients.”
Targeting interferon signaling
The new vaccine is designed to trigger type‑I interferons, immune molecules that control inflammation and help detect tumor cells. In mouse studies, this signaling proved crucial for slowing tumor growth and improving survival. When interferon activity was blocked, tumors grew unchecked.
This mechanism also enhanced the performance of immune checkpoint inhibitors, a common therapy that removes the “brakes” on immune cells so they can attack cancer. By resetting interferon signaling, the vaccine helped checkpoint inhibitors work against previously resistant tumors.
Effective across tumor types
Researchers tested the vaccine with checkpoint inhibitors in mice with melanoma, a severe form of skin cancer, and saw greater tumor control than with inhibitors alone. On its own, the vaccine also showed promise against glioma, a type of brain cancer, and pulmonary osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that spreads to the lungs.
Several mRNA formulations produced similar immune responses. Sayour said more work is needed to determine whether it stems from the mRNA itself or the proteins it encodes.
Moving toward human trials
The team has launched a clinical trial using a two‑step approach: an off‑the‑shelf vaccine followed by a personalized version. The trial focuses on patients with recurrent pediatric high‑grade glioma or osteosarcoma.
Diana Azzam, associate professor at Florida International University, described the findings as “exciting and novel,” noting potential for treating “cold” tumors, such as pancreatic and ovarian cancers, that usually evade immune detection.
She cautioned that human studies must confirm safety and long-term effectiveness, but said the results provide a strong foundation.
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