Researchers have discovered a potential benefit of COVID-19 vaccines for cancer patients, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature. The study found that patients with advanced lung or skin cancer who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy treatment lived substantially longer than those who did not receive the vaccine.
The study, conducted by researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Florida, analyzed the records of nearly 1,000 advanced cancer patients undergoing checkpoint inhibitor treatment. The results showed that vaccinated lung cancer patients were nearly twice as likely to be alive three years after beginning cancer treatment as unvaccinated patients. Among melanoma patients, median survival was significantly longer for vaccinated patients.
The molecule that powers mRNA vaccines, mRNA, appears to help the immune system respond better to cutting-edge cancer treatment. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is naturally found in every cell and contains genetic instructions for the body to make proteins. While mRNA technology is best known for its use in COVID-19 vaccines, scientists have long been trying to create personalized mRNA “treatment vaccines” that train immune cells to spot unique features of a patient’s tumor.
Lead researcher Dr. Adam Grippin of MD Anderson noted that the vaccine “acts like a siren to activate immune cells throughout the body.” The research team is preparing a more rigorous study to see if mRNA coronavirus vaccines should be paired with cancer drugs called checkpoint inhibitors. Checkpoint inhibitors remove the cloak that some tumors use to hide from immune attack, allowing the immune system to recognize and attack the tumor.
A healthy immune system often kills cancer cells before they become a threat, but some tumors evolve to evade immune attack. The study’s findings suggest that mRNA vaccines may have a role to play in enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments. The research team’s results are promising, and they are designing new mRNA vaccines for use in cancer treatment. The potential benefits of mRNA vaccines for cancer patients will be explored further in future studies.