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Flu Shot Fights Cancer: Early Trial Shows Promise
9 Nov
Summary
- Flu vaccine injected into melanoma tumors may boost immune response.
- Early trial saw tumors shrink in some patients, with no serious side effects.
- This approach offers a potentially low-cost, readily available cancer treatment.
Injecting a common flu vaccine directly into skin cancer tumors shows early promise in stimulating the immune system to fight cancer. In a preliminary trial involving 18 patients with surgically removable melanoma, researchers at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center directly injected flu vaccines into the tumors.
Following the injections, most tissue samples revealed a significant presence of immune cells, indicating the immune system was activated. Notably, tumors in seven patients displayed shrinkage, and three patients achieved complete remission with no detectable cancer cells. This innovative approach uses the flu vaccine not to teach the body about cancer, but to disrupt the tumor's signaling that typically repels immune cells.
While this early research is encouraging, further studies are needed. Experts suggest this technique might be even more effective when combined with existing immunotherapy drugs. The method's success relies on the accessibility of tumors for injection, and other research institutions are also exploring similar vaccination strategies for different types of skin cancer.
