Researchers have made a crucial discovery that enables cancer cells themselves to work against cancer cells. American scientists have developed a vaccine to prevent brain cancer. Khalid Shah, MD, PhD at Brigham Women’s Hospital, and his team have found new hope in the field of cancer treatment. The vaccine works by targeting cancer cells against brain cancer through cell therapy.
‘Our team tried to implement a simple idea. “They took cancer cells and turned them into cancer killers and vaccines,” said Khalid Shah, director of the Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy and vice-chairman of the research department of the Department of Neurosurgery.
‘Using gene engineering, tumor cells have been transformed to enable them to destroy cancer cells. “We are regenerating cancer cells to prevent cancer and stimulate the immune system,” he said.
The vaccine will eliminate the brain tumor and give the body long-term immunity. It also enables the body to fight against brain cancer in the future. The scientists announced that the experiment conducted on mice suffering from glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain cancer, was a complete success. The research was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Unlike the usual method, Shah and his team used active cancer cells instead of dead cells for their research. Cancer cells travel long distances through the brain to find fellow cells. This feature was used to convert cancer cells into anti-cells using a tool called SiriSPRCAS9. A two-layer protective shield has also been built around the cancer cells. If necessary, it can also eliminate cancer cells that have turned into anti-cells.
The same vaccine was tested in mice with other cancers. Recently, there has been news about base editing technology which has become a revolution in the field of cancer treatment. Doctors at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital brought a thirteen-year-old cancer patient back to life through this technique.
The treatment method discovered using the technique of base editing through biological engineering led to the treatment of leukemia of a girl named Alyssa and caused the child to be completely cured of the disease. According to a BBC report, Alyssa has no symptoms of the disease beyond six months after treatment. However, Alisa is still under the observation of the hospital authorities.
Our ultimate goal is to develop a vaccine that kills cancer. By doing so we can ultimately make a lasting impact on medicine. Shaw and colleagues say further investigations are needed into the applications of the new discovery.