Scientists are developing a ‘groundbreaking’ lung cancer vaccine that research shows will be effective in preventing up to 90 percent of cases.
The jab – which will be given to those most at risk of developing the disease – will train the immune system to spot and attack early signs of illness.
Experts described it as a ‘pivotal moment’ in the fight against the devastating disease, which affects 48,500 people in Britain every year.
It is known as ‘LungVax’ and is made by the University of Oxford, the Francis Crick Institute and University College London.
Lung cancer cells look different from normal cells because they have “red flag” proteins called neoantigens.
The jab – which will be given to those most at risk of developing the disease – will train the immune system to spot and attack early signs of illness. Experts described it as a ‘pivotal moment’ in the fight against the devastating disease, which affects 48,500 people in Britain every year
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Neoantigens appear on the surface of the cell due to cancer-causing mutations in the cell’s DNA.
The LungVax vaccine will contain a DNA strand that trains the immune system to recognize these neoantigens on abnormal lung cells.
It will then activate the immune system to kill these cells and stop lung cancer.
Professor Tim Eilliot, lead researcher at the University of Oxford, said: ‘Cancer is a disease of our own bodies and it is difficult for the immune system to distinguish between what is normal and what is cancer.
‘Getting the immune system to recognize and attack cancer is one of the biggest challenges in cancer research today.
‘This research could deliver a ready-made vaccine based on Oxford’s vaccine technology, which has proven itself during the Covid pandemic.
‘If we can replicate the kind of success we’ve seen in trials during the pandemic, we could save the lives of tens of thousands of people every year in Britain alone.’
Researchers have been awarded up to £1.7 million from Cancer Research UK and the CRIS Cancer Foundation.
The team will receive research funding over the next two years to support laboratory testing and the initial production of 3,000 doses of the vaccine at the Oxford Clinical BioManufacturing Facility.
Symptoms of lung cancer are often not noticeable until the cancer has spread through the lungs to other parts of the body
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While the level of progress in cancer survival has been rapid in some forms of the disease, such as breast and prostate cancer, others, such as lung and pancreas, have improved only at a snail’s pace.
If the vaccine is successful, it will go straight into clinical trials, involving those most at risk of disease, such as current and former smokers who are currently eligible for targeted lung health checks in some parts of Britain.
Less than 10 percent of people with lung cancer survive their disease for 10 years or more.
Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani from University College London and the Francis Crick Institute said: ‘We believe the vaccine could cover around 90 per cent of all lung cancers, based on our computer modeling and previous research, and this funding will allow us to essential first steps towards research in patients.
“LungVax will not replace smoking cessation as the best way to reduce the risk of lung cancer.
‘But it could provide a viable route to preventing some of the earliest cancers from developing in the first place.’
Lola Manterola, President of the CRIS Cancer Foundation, said: “We are at a pivotal moment in the history of cancer research and treatment.
‘For the first time, technology and knowledge of the immune system allow us to take the first steps towards preventing cancer.
‘This groundbreaking research is a strong step in that direction, and we at CRIS believe it is essential to support it.’