Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancers all around the world including Britain. Every year, around 50,000 cases and 35,000 deaths of patients with lung cancer are reported in Britain alone.
UK researchers are developing the world’s first lung cancer vaccine to prevent the disease among people who are at high risk. They have been granted crucial funding to develop LungVax, which aims to kill cancer cells. The scientists from the University of Oxford, the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have utilized similar technology to the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine will work by activating the immune system to kill cancer cells and stop lung cancer.
According to the researchers, it works by using a strand of DNA to train the immune system to recognize “red flag” proteins in lung cancer cells called neoantigens and then kill them. These neoantigens appear on the cell surface due to cancer-causing mutations within the cell’s DNA. The team has been granted up to £1.7m in funding to manufacture 3000 doses of the vaccine over the next two years. The chief executive of the charity, Michelle Mitchell, said, “the LungVax provides a “really important step forward” into a future where cancer is more preventable.” The science that successfully steered the world out of the pandemic could soon be guiding us toward a future where people can live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer, she said.
Smoking remains the main cause of lung cancer. LuxVax is not a replacement for stopping smoking. It could offer a viable route to prevent some of the early stage cancers emerging in the first place. The vaccine could then be scaled up to bigger trails for people who are at high risk of lung cancer. This could include people aging 55 to 74 years who are current smokers or have previously smoked.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only. You should always consult your healthcare provider for any medical needs.
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