A novel vaccine for ovarian cancer
Overview
The aim of this project is to develop a vaccine that treats ovarian cancer by improving the immune system’s ability to recognise and eliminate cancer cells.
Lead researcher: Professor Kristen Radford
Grant received: $672,000 over three years
OCRF research pillar: Treatment, Managing Recurrence
Primary institution: Mater Research, The University of Queensland
Associated Institution/s: Icahn School of Medicine, Mt Sinai
Project details
Professor Radford believes dendritic cells within the immune system are not functioning correctly in ovarian cancer patients and hopes to create a targeted vaccine, with an initial focus on high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
A working immune system recognises dangerous cells it needs to defend against. For example, cells infected with viruses can present proteins on their surface that the immune system recognises and eliminates them. However, cancer originates from within the body, so the immune system doesn’t easily recognise cancerous cells as dangerous. Therefore, a cancer vaccine needs to train the immune system to recognise cancerous cells and respond against them. Not all cancers are the same, so an ovarian cancer vaccine also needs to be tailorable.
Aims:
- Demonstrate which type of dendritic cells activate immunity and identify what happens in the body that stops them from working against ovarian cancer.
- Identify which molecules on the surface of dendritic cells should be targeted with a vaccine to activate the immune system most effectively against ovarian cancer.
Approach:
With OCRF funding, researchers will:
- Observe the way dendritic cells function in ovarian cancer samples to determine why they don’t kick start the immune system to respond against them.
- Compare the differences in dendritic cell function between healthy donors and ovarian cancer patient samples.
- Identify molecules on the surface of dendritic cells that could best activate the immune system against ovarian cancer and design a vaccine to target them.
- Test the use of a dendritic cell-based vaccine on patient samples.
Ambition and outcomes:
By demonstrating exactly how and why dendritic cells function differently when faced with ovarian cancer, Professor Radford’s team could uncover the foundations of a targeted vaccine.
The project could also assist in avoiding disease recurrence through a vaccine treatment that prompts an individual’s immune system to recognise their specific ovarian cancer type.
Immunotherapies have shown promise in treating other cancers. With most ovarian cancer cases currently diagnosed in later stages, this project could provide a live-saving treatment option for future patients.
Current status:
This ovarian cancer research project is at the preclinical stage where researchers are conducting extensive studies in the lab with samples and models to verify the effectiveness of their approach as well as evaluating how safe it is likely to be for humans *
*Want to learn more about the medical research pipeline? Read more here.
For every project like this, many more can’t get underway due to a lack of funding. Support research like this to help them move forward.
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