Doctors are taking the first steps to develop a vaccine for people with a condition that increases their risk of a number of cancers. Lynch syndrome is caused by a mutation in the gene that fixes mistakes in DNA when it is copied, which can lead to uncontrolled cell growth. An estimated one in 400 people in England have the condition, according to the NHS, although only 5% are aware they are living with it.
Last year, the health service started rolling out a genetic test for Lynch syndrome. People with the condition have a higher risk of developing cancers of the bowel, womb and ovaries. About 1,100 bowel cancer cases in England each year are caused by Lynch syndrome and the condition is thought to increase the lifetime risk of the disease by 80%.
Researchers from the University of Oxford could potentially design a vaccine that teaches the immune system of someone with the disorder to recognise and destroy cells before they become cancer. As part of the project – known as LynchVax – scientists will analyse cells from Lynch syndrome patients that are showing signs of becoming cancerous. They will use their findings to determine which parts of a pre-cancer cell can be attacked by the immune system and if a vaccine approach is likely to work.
Simon Leedham, a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Oxford and honorary consultant gastroenterologist, said: “People with Lynch syndrome are at very high risk of developing bowel cancer, womb cancer and other cancers.