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Cancer Trial Uses Flu Vaccine to Shock Tumors
8 Nov
Summary
- Flu vaccine injected into skin tumors to stimulate immune response.
- Over a third of patients showed tumor retreat, some with no cancer left.
- Trial hints at an inexpensive, off-the-shelf cancer treatment option.
Scientists are investigating whether the common flu vaccine can be repurposed to treat cancer. In a preliminary clinical trial conducted in Ohio, researchers injected flu vaccine directly into patients' skin tumors. This intervention aimed to trigger an immune response against the cancer, and early results suggest success.
Most of the treated tumors showed an influx of immune cells. Following the injections, surgeons removed the tumors, and over a third of the 18 participants exhibited signs of tumor regression. Remarkably, three patients had no cancer cells remaining by the time of surgery.
While the trial is small and lacked a control group, these findings suggest a potentially low-cost, readily available method for cancer therapy. This contrasts with current personalized cancer vaccines, which are highly expensive and custom-made for each patient. The flu vaccine's strategy involves creating a localized 'commotion' that draws immune cells to the tumor site.
Further research is underway, with teams testing the flu vaccine in combination with existing immune-activating drugs for more advanced cancers. Trials are also exploring its efficacy in other skin cancers and, with modifications, in less accessible tumors like those in the colon and rectum, indicating a broad interest in this innovative approach.
