Scientists from Oxford University have developed a vaccine called OvarianVax, which can train the immune system to identify and destroy malignant cells at the earliest stages of ovarian cancer, Cancer Research UK reports.
Ovarian cancer is considered one of the most dangerous forms of cancer in women. According to statistics, about two-thirds of patients die within a year of diagnosis. Each year in the UK, approximately 7,500 new cases of this disease are detected, making it the sixth most common cancer among women in the country.
In the fight against this disease, British scientists have developed a vaccine called OvarianVax. Researchers analyzed proteins found in the early stages of cancer cells and identified those that best activate the immune system and effectively destroy tumor cells in laboratory conditions. The OvarianVax vaccine acts based on these proteins and “teaches” the immune system to cope with cancer on its own.
“We need better strategies to prevent ovarian cancer”
–Professor Ahmed
the OvarianVax project.
The research team noted that OvarianVax’s mechanism of action is similar to that of the human papillomavirus vaccine, which is expected to help eliminate cervical cancer.
Laboratory studies are currently in their final stages. Once completed, scientists will move on to clinical trials on humans. First of all, they want to test the vaccine on women with a high genetic risk of ovarian cancer.
