The COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines that saved 2.5 million lives globally during the pandemic could help spark the immune system to fight cancer .
This treatment is a common approach doctors use to train the immune system to kill cancer.
It does this by blocking a protein that tumor cells make to turn off immune cells, enabling the immune system to continue killing cancer.
We found that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines act like an alarm, triggering the body's immune system to recognize and kill tumor cells and overcome the cancer's ability to turn off immune cells.
When combined, vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors coordinate to unleash the full power of the immune system to kill cancer cells.
Our findings suggest that mRNA vaccines may provide just the spark the immune system needs to turn these "cold" tumors "hot."
Our findings that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have substantial antitumor effects bring hope that they could help extend the anti-cancer benefits of mRNA vaccines to all. »