WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a new nanoparticle-based vaccine that can prevent several aggressive cancers in mice, including melanoma, pancreatic cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer.
In their experiments, up to 88 percent of vaccinated mice stayed cancer-free, and in many cases, the vaccine also stopped the disease from spreading through the body.
In the first test, the researchers gave mice a vaccine made with nanoparticles carrying melanoma peptides. A few weeks later, the mice were exposed to melanoma cells. The results showed that 80 percent of the vaccinated mice survived and remained tumor-free for 250 days, while all the unvaccinated mice died within seven weeks.
In a second test, the team used a more general substance called tumor lysate, made from broken cancer cells. This version of the vaccine was designed to help the immune system recognize multiple cancer types.
After being exposed to melanoma, pancreatic cancer, or triple-negative breast cancer, most vaccinated mice stayed healthy. The findings revealed that 88 percent of those exposed to pancreatic cancer, 75 percent exposed to breast cancer, and 69 percent exposed to melanoma remained tumor-free. When the researchers tried to trigger the spread of cancer in these survivors, all of them still stayed cancer-free.
The researchers explained that the key to the vaccine's success is a 'super adjuvant,' made of tiny lipid nanoparticles that carry two immune-boosting ingredients. These ingredients work together to train the immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells more effectively, offering hope for future cancer prevention strategies.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
