Researchers are seeking to develop the world’s first vaccine to prevent lung cancer in people at high risk.
Scientists from the University of Oxford, the Francis Crick Institute and University College London (UCL) used something like Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Developing the “LungVax” vaccine, which activates the immune system to kill cancer cells and stop lung cancer.
The team has received funding of up to £1.7 million from the charity, Cancer Research UK and the CRIS Cancer Foundation to produce 3,000 doses of the vaccine.
It works by using a strand of DNA to train the immune system to recognize “red flag” proteins (called neoantigens) in lung cancer cells and kill them.
These neoantigens appear on the cell surface due to oncogenic mutations within the cell’s DNA.
According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 48,500 cases of lung cancer in the UK each year, 72% of which are caused by smoking.
According to Cancer Research UK, 72% of lung cancers are caused by smoking.File picture
However, the charity’s chief executive Michelle Mitchell said LungVax was a “hugely important step” towards a future where cancer is more preventable.
“The science that successfully guided the world out of this pandemic may soon lead us toward a future where people live longer and better lives without fear of cancer,” she said.
“We are in a golden age of research and this is one of many projects we hope will transform lung cancer survival.”
If a vaccine can successfully demonstrate that it triggers an immune response in a laboratory setting, it will enter clinical trials. The resulting positive results could lead to larger trials targeting people at high risk for the disease.
High-risk groups may include those aged 55 to 74, current smokers, former smokers and those who qualify Targeted lung health checks in parts of UK.
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“Fewer than 10% of lung cancer patients survive 10 years or more. This has to change,” said Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani of University College London and the Francis Crick Institute, who is leading the LungVax clinical trial.
“This study complements existing efforts to early detect those at greatest risk of lung cancer through lung health screenings.”
She said that based on early predictions, the vaccine has the potential to cover about 90% of lung cancers.
“LungVax will not replace smoking cessation as the best way to reduce lung cancer risk,” she said, adding that it could provide a viable way to prevent some early-stage cancers from developing in the first place.
Lola Manterola, president of the CRIS Cancer Foundation, based in South Kensington, London, called the research “groundbreaking” because it represented a firm step forward in preventing cancer.
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