Cancer vaccine developed for people at hight risk of disease

A vaccine designed for people at high risk of bowel and ovarian cancer has been developed by the University of Oxford alongside the pharmaceutical firm Moderna.

Experts at Oxford believe the mRNA technology behind this vaccine has the potential to be adapted for other cancers in the future.

A study launching this summer will assess whether the vaccine can train the immune system to recognise and eliminate pre-cancerous cells in people with Lynch syndrome before cancer develops.

Lynch syndrome is linked to a far higher risk of bowel, womb and ovarian cancer, alongside other types such as stomach, pancreatic, kidney and skin cancer.

Around one in 300 people in England have Lynch syndrome, but just 5% are aware they have the condition.

Around 1,100 bowel cancers are caused by Lynch syndrome each year in England and it is thought the syndrome increases the lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer by around 80%.

Once patients receive the new mRNA-4194 jab, experts will then analyse their immune responses, what the perfect dose is and will check the jab is safe.

Professor David Church, Cancer Research UK senior cancer research fellow in the University of Oxford’s centre for human genetics and the lead investigator of the trial, said the aim of the new study is to “train the immune system with a vaccine” to recognise abnormalities and stop them developing into cancer.

Prof Church said the mRNA jab acts as “an instruction manual” for the body to attack the pre-cancerous cells.

However, he said there may be a need for patients to have a booster jab at some stage.

He said the vaccine could be “transformative” in preventing cancer in people with Lynch syndrome and can also be given to Lynch patients who have already suffered one type of cancer.

Prof Church said results from this study will give insights “that are generalisable” which could help aid research into other types of cancers.

The second phase of the study will include multiple centres across the UK, including Oxford, and is expected to begin in 2027.