Soon a personal vaccine to eliminate cancer?

Treat cancer on all fronts. This is how the research published May 11 in the journal can be summarized Nature Communications, Which is studying the feasibility of a specific cancer vaccine. The combination of oncolytic viruses, which are laboratory modified viruses, and peptides, which are small synthetic molecules specific to a target cancer, have been shown to be able to accurately infect and kill cancer cells without affecting healthy cells.

Double attack on cancer

This technique, developed by researchers at the University of Montreal’s Center Research Center (CRCHUM), makes it possible to attack cancer in two ways. First with tumorigenic viruses that aim to eliminate cancer cells directly, then with synthetic peptides that encourage the immune system to join the fight against infected cells. “The advantage of ingesting tumorigenic viruses is that the viruses themselves are able to directly target and destroy cancer.AD continues^I Bourgeois-Daigneault, Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Infection and Immunology at the University of Montreal and a member of the Montreal Cancer Institute. So not only do we have a vaccine that stimulates the immune response against every type of cancer, but we also have viruses that directly target and destroy the cancer.. “This technique has already been demonstrated in mice that have provided models for colon and melanoma.

For this vaccine to be optimally effective, this vaccine must be customized for each patient, depending on the specific mutations of each cancer cell. Therefore, it is a different method from the one used for example for vaccines against Covid-19 because in the case of cancer, the vaccine intervenes after the patient becomes ill and not in prevention. “Cancer is not like an infection that strikes and develops very quickly, which must be eliminated very quickly., Described by the researcher. Cancer is a disease that is often slower. Even if it is actually well developed, we still have a certain amount of time to build up an immune response.. ”

Identifying mutations, the next challenge

Another advantage of this method is that it does not require any genetic modification of viruses. The combination of synthetic peptides and tumorigenic viruses is sufficient and makes it possible to target all types of cancer. “It is a big difference and important because it allows obtaining an available treatment more quickly and at a lower cost compared to designing new viruses for each patient.M.^I Bourjois Deniolt.

The main challenge researchers must now face is identifying which mutations one would like to be vaccinated against. Only a few of the hundreds of mutations that characterize cancer will effectively attack and eradicate it. Scientific teams are currently studying this question.