Cancer Vaccines

At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida, researchers are developing personalized cancer vaccines that strengthen a patient’s own immune system, helping it recognize and attack cancer more effectively.

“The immune system is like an organ that’s spread throughout the body, constantly scanning for threats,” said Keith L. Knutson, Ph.D., co-leader of the David F. and Margaret T. Grohne Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program. “Most people think of it fighting infections. But it can fight cancer too, and we’re finding ways to make it even better at that.”

“We’re looking for what’s foreign or abnormal on the tumor,” said Dr. Knutson. “Once we identify that target, we can then begin creating a vaccine that mimics it. The idea is to train your immune system to recognize that specific feature on your cancer.”

The vaccine helps a patient’s body to start producing immune cells, such as antibodies or T-cells that are trained to find and attack the tumor. The challenge is ensuring the immune system responds consistently, effectively, and precisely.

Beyond supporting treatment, the vaccines also help strengthen the body’s long-term immune response, reducing the risk of cancer returning.

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But many of the most common and most deadly forms of the disease like prostate, ovarian and lung cancer aren’t caused by viruses. This means researchers can’t use the same strategy because there’s no viral target to eliminate.

Instead, they must identify the specific molecules that are deregulated or abnormal in the cancer cells and then design vaccines that help the immune system recognize those molecules as threats. “A vaccine’s job is to teach the immune system to identify a target and respond. Our goal is to find the right targets inside cancer cells,” explained Dr. Knutson. “We use them to turn the immune system into a highly specific, highly effective treatment tool.”

The work being done in cancer vaccines is ever evolving, but the possibilities around personalized vaccines for patients are endless. Based on the success being had today, researchers at Mayo Clinic believe that vaccines will play a huge role in the future of cancer treatment and prevention.

“We’re working toward a future where vaccines could be used to prevent cancers that, today, seem impossible to stop,” said Dr. Knutson. “Our hope is, a patient will come in, we’ll analyze their tumor in real time, and we’ll be able to create a personalized therapy—right there at the bedside.”

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