Immunotherapies have made significant strides in treating advanced cancers, a feat that was once considered impossible. These treatments, with their potential for long-lasting responses, have revolutionized the field of cancer treatment. While the broad application of immune-based approaches remains challenging, research has uncovered several factors that promote the success of cancer immunotherapy. While these treatments can induce long-lasting responses, the broad application of immune-based approaches remains challenging. Research has uncovered
several factors that promote the success of cancer immunotherapy. One such factor includes the mutational burden in a cancer, where the greater the number of mutations present in a tumor, the greater the odds of anti-tumor activity.
Tumors, often referred to as “hot,” tend to respond optimally to immune-based approaches. These tumors contain immune cells and other cellular mediators needed for active anti-tumor immunity. On the other hand, “cold” tumors, which lack the immune cells required for killing tumor cells, render them resistant to immunotherapy. This distinction is crucial in optimizing cancer immunotherapy approaches.
A recent study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering provides a new strategy for enhancing the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The researchers show that administration of mRNA vaccines coding for antigens unrelated to the tumor promotes mechanisms that favor immunotherapy responsiveness.
The study used mouse models of melanoma to investigate a new strategy to make immune-resistant tumors responsive to ICIs. The novelty of the mRNA vaccine approach used in the study centers around the lack of specificity. While most research into cancer vaccinations focuses on personalized therapies targeting each patient’s individual tumor, the new research used a vaccine targeting the immune system broadly, aiming to increase anti-tumor immunity.
The mRNA vaccine used in the study stimulates the immune system, in a non-cancer specific manner, leading to more activity among T cells, the immune cells responsible for killing cancer cells.
The research shows that an mRNA vaccine promoted tumor regression in mouse cancer models for bone and brain cancer. When administered in combination with anti-PD-1, an ICI approved for the treatment of many different types of cancer, it eliminated mouse melanoma. The current study presents pre-clinical evidence paving the way for more research into a universal cancer vaccine.
Sources: JAMA Netw Open, Nat Biomed Eng