Researchers at the University of Oxford, the Francis Crick Institute, and University College London have received a significant funding boost to develop a pioneering lung cancer vaccine, dubbed ‘LungVax’. This innovative vaccine leverages technology from the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and has received £1.7 million in funding from Cancer Research UK and the CRIS Cancer Foundation.
LungVax targets neoantigens—proteins that emerge on lung cells due to cancer-causing mutations. By introducing a DNA strand that trains the immune system to recognize and attack these abnormal cells, the vaccine aims to prevent lung cancer at its earliest stages.
The collaborative effort, led by Professor Tim Elliott of Oxford and Professor Sarah Blagden, the project’s founder, plans to manufacture 3,000 doses initially for clinical trials. If successful, the vaccine could significantly increase the survival rates for lung cancer, which currently sees fewer than 10% of patients living beyond ten years after diagnosis.
The LungVax initiative represents a crucial step in the fight against lung cancer, particularly for high-risk individuals such as long-term smokers. While cessation of smoking remains the most effective prevention, LungVax offers a hopeful supplement that may prevent the development of early-stage lung cancers.
This development could herald a new era in cancer prevention, building on the successful strategies employed during the COVID-19 pandemic to potentially save thousands of lives annually.