A cancer vaccine based on stem cells has been created

Taiwanese researchers have developed an experimental vaccine based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), which has shown effectiveness in preventing and treating colorectal cancer in mice. The work is published in the scientific journal Theranostics.

A team led by Professor Zu-Tang Wei from the Medical College of National Taiwan University applied iPSC lysates in combination with the immunostimulating agent CpG. This combination activated an immune response in the animals and significantly slowed tumor growth. Moreover, the vaccine also worked as a preventive measure: mice that received it before tumor development demonstrated resistance to subsequent infection with cancer cells.

Using mass spectrometry and computer simulations, scientists identified two key proteins - HNRNPU and NCL - equally active in iPSC and cancer cells, but rarely found in healthy tissues. These proteins became targets for the immune system: dendritic cells "presented" them to T-cells, triggering a powerful anti-tumor response.