Bacterial cancer vaccine

2024: Vaccine Development

On October 16, 2024, American researchers from Columbia University announced the development of the first bacterial vaccine to combat malignant formations. The tool, according to the authors of the work, can be personalized to attack the primary tumor and metastases of each particular patient and can even prevent future relapses.

The created bacterial vaccine "trains" the immune system to destroy cancer cells. The drug activates all links of the immune system to trigger an effective antitumor immune response. Researchers say the new agent is more potent compared to peptide-based therapeutic cancer vaccines.

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Columbia University

The bacterial vaccine is customized individually for a specific tumor. Scientists note that each type of neoplasm is unique: cancer cells carry certain genetic mutations, which is why they differ from normal healthy cells. By programming bacteria according to such mutations, it is possible to target the patient's own immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells.

Experiments in mice have shown that a bacterial vaccine attracts a wide range of immune cells to work that attack tumor structures. As a result, the development of primary and metastatic cancer is suppressed. It is also said that the vaccine has the ability to prevent cancer recurrence in patients who have survived remission. The proposed therapy does not harm healthy cells.

The final effect is that the bacterial vaccine is able to control or prevent the growth of malignant tumors, says Jongwon Im of Columbia University, who participated in the study.[1]

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