An RNA vaccine has been developed by an American team. It could help fight cancer. How does it work ? The vaccine is delivered to the lymphatic system by bubbles of lipids.
Vaccines that use RNA technology are not only used for Covid-19, far from it. Above all, they represent a major hope in the fight against cancer. In recent years, a large number of scientific projects have been launched around the world. But now, for the moment the clinical trials are not very convincing.
When RNA is injected it goes directly to the liver. The goal: direct the antigens to the lymphatic system. This is where lymphocytes (white blood cells) and T cells must learn to fight off an outside infection.
Very interesting results
The Tufts School of Engineering in the United States seems to have achieved this feat. For their project, the researchers carried out their experiments on mice with metastatic melanoma. The results are particularly convincing, because the tumors were largely inhibited. 40% of the mice even showed complete remission, with no long-term recurrence when receiving an already existing complementary treatment. The vaccine therefore appears to have resulted in excellent immune memory. This study was published in the journal PNAS.
Delivered through nanoparticles
What has allowed this vaccine to be particularly interesting is the development of a new envelope to diffuse the vaccine in the body. It is delivered through nanoparticles capable of concentrating on the lymphatic system. This vaccine then trains the immune system to fight against cancer cells. The formula seems to work. This is an unprecedented advance in the study of messenger RNA vaccines.