Getting a COVID-19 messenger RNA vaccine appears to enhance the effectiveness of a type of cancer immunotherapy. Photo Credit: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Health USACOVID-19 Vaccines Unlock New Hope in Cancer Treatment
In the United States, scientists have found that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines may do more than prevent infection — they could also strengthen cancer treatment.
“The idea that an approved vaccine could help make cancer patients more responsive to immunotherapies is really exciting,” said Jeff Coller, a molecular biologist at Johns Hopkins University.
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that patients who received an mRNA vaccine before starting immunotherapy lived significantly longer than those who did not. Among individuals with advanced lung cancer, the survival time nearly doubled, from 20.6 months to 37.3 months. Lab studies suggest the vaccines act like an immune “booster,” activating cells that attack tumors and enhancing the impact of checkpoint inhibitor drugs. A clinical trial is now being planned, with scientists hopeful that this simple, low-cost approach could open a new chapter in cancer care.
