A cancer vaccine that had little success in clinical trials for patients with advanced tumors could potentially have efficacy if administered earlier in the treatment cycle, according to a study from Vanderbilt researchers. The investigators demonstrated in a mouse model that the cancer vaccine can block tumor progression if administered when the lesions are at an early stage. Results of the study, which were published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer , revealed that tumor-specific T cell populations are present in mice with early-stage lesions and can be therapeutically exploited by vaccination, but mice with advanced tumors do not retain these cells.
The inquiry by the Vanderbilt researchers differed from most cancer vaccine studies, which have focused on patients with advanced tumors. The findings support further vaccine investigation to make long-term, progression-free survival a reality for more cancer patients, said the study's senior author Mary Philip, MD, Ph.D.
, associate director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation. With the development and widespread use of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, there is growing excitement about using personalized vaccines to treat and prevent cancer. "Our study suggests that the timing of vaccination is important," said Philip, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, and assistant professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology.
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