Based on the messenger RNA technique, the vaccine eliminated cancerous tumors and prevented recurrence.
- The first drug targeting messenger RNA was marketed in 1999.
- Used as part of a vaccine, its role is to stimulate the body to fight an infection.
- mRNA vaccines against influenza and Zika are in development.
From the vaccine against Covid-19 to that against cancer: the applications of messenger RNA are developing. According to work published Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesit would be effective in eliminating tumors in mice.
A new target
Researchers at the Tufts School of Engineering, located in the United States, have succeeded where many other scientists have failed. More than 20 messenger RNA cancer vaccines have been tested in clinical trials, without success. The messenger RNA (for ribonucleotide acid) is produced naturally by the cells, it makes it possible to copy the genetic information to transmit it thereafter. In previous studies, scientists were faced with a problem: a large part of the mRNA ended up in the liver, which increased the risk of inflammation.
The Tufts School of Engineering researchers switched focus to the lymphatic system, where B cells, T cells and other immune system cells concentrate. “If we think of the body as a battlefield – against viruses, bacteria, parasites and tumors – and B cells and T cells as soldiers, the lymph nodes are the training camp where the cells B and T cells are trained to be more effective against the enemy”specify the authors of the study in a press release.
fat molecules
To successfully target the lymphatic system, scientists used the same technique as for vaccines against Covid-19: fat molecules. These fuse with cells in the body, allowing them to decipher messenger RNA and produce viral antigens capable of activating the immune system. “What we are doing now is developing the next generation of mRNA vaccines using lipid nanoparticle delivery technology, with the ability to target specific organs and tissues“, explains Qiaobing Xu, professor of biomedical engineering, and co-author of the study.
Specifically, they found a lipid nanoparticle, which they injected into mice, subcutaneously, and which concentrated on the lymph nodes. As more serum makes its way to these organs, the researchers found that the cancer vaccine was taken up by about a third of the immune cells. “This is significantly more than what is achieved with conventional vaccines, and more ‘drill sergeants’ means more trained B and T cell ‘soldiers’ and a more potent response against tumors.”, they analyze. In their trial, mice with metastatic melanoma who were treated with this vaccine showed a “significant tumor inhibition” and a complete response rate of 40%, that is to say without tumor and without long-term recurrence.
future applications
Researchers at the Tufts School of Engineering need to carry out further trials to verify that these results are applicable to humans. But they already wish to develop this technology in the treatment of other pathologies. “We hope that messenger RNA could become a universal platform not only for cancer vaccines, but also for more effective vaccines against viruses and other pathogens. “, they conclude.
