3D Vaccine Fights Cancer and Infectious Disease

In about fourteen hours I will be starting my first shift of THON 2015 setting up the BJC with the rest of the OPPerations committees. This is such an exciting time and I think it’s super appropriate for this week’s passion blog entry to be about a new vaccine from a senior author at Harvard that “self-assembles” into a 3D structure to manipulate immune cells so that they can attack cancer and other infectious diseases.

With this vaccine, tiny nanoscale silica rods are injected into the body and group together into a scaffold-like structure. They then draw immune cells toward them and somehow “teach” the cells how to take on bodily threats. This is a revolutionary advance because it is the first time we are directly aiding the immune system rather than introducing a weakened version of the disease and forcing the immune system to figure it out and fight back.

The research that has been done so far has been in mice with lymphoma. After a thirty day testing window, sixty percent of the mice who received traditional medicines and antibiotics were still alive while ninety percent of the mice with the scaffold vaccine lived! By targeting dendrite cells, which are responsible for locating antigens on the surface of cancer cells, the vaccine was able to successfully slow tumor progression.

This is an elegant new example of cell re-programming that takes advantage of the dendritic cell’s natural behavior and has an extremely positive response so far. Researchers are extremely excited at the prospect of avoiding dangerous (and expensive) surgeries and treatments in favor of this completely non-invasive new method. The possibilities with a vaccination of this sort can also be tailored to treat a wide array of diseases and not just cancer.

The author of the study, David Mooney says that “This is going to be the first of a number of examples where we utilize ideas of self-organization in the body instead of having to create structures outside of the body and then placing them in”. Things like 3D printing and artificial organs are absolutely amazing, but what if the answer could be right inside of us from the beginning? This sort of technology will one day be able to expand its horizons from just reprogramming immune cells to whole tissues as well! Something like this would radicalize the face of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine entirely.

Of course, this study was only done on mice, and is yet to reach human trials, but with things looking up I think it looks extremely promising.

4 thoughts on “3D Vaccine Fights Cancer and Infectious Disease

  1. First, I am super excited for THON, too! And this post was perfect for THON. The study you mentioned is amazing! Vaccines in 3D helping the immune system directly is truly a brilliant concept and the fact that it is working in mice with lymphoma so incredibly seems like a miracle, almost. It reinforces our hopes and belief that we will indeed eradicate cancer one day, and that day shall come soon! My understanding of the interaction between vaccines and the immune system (dendritic cells and antigens) had become a little rusty as I was trying to explain to one of my friends a few days ago, but after reading your post, it has been strengthened once again.

  2. Justin Cooper says:

    Awesome blog, I love learning about all this technology that seems like its from the future! Good luck this weekend superstar

  3. cvk5271 says:

    wow, i’m always amazed at how far science and technology have progressed in our society. Your blog’s been a great way to keep up with what’s happening in the world of science, and this vaccine in particular sounds like it will have a very strong impact on the way we deal with cancer in the future

  4. David Fanelli says:

    Holy whack unlyrical lyrics, Sarah! That’s pretty darn cool. I like how we’re “teaching” the immune system rather than just taking a shot in the dark with other types of drugs and vaccinations. This is kind of like Biotechnology, which I’m pretty interested in.

    Also, OPP 2015 for life, home dog skizzet.
    And I mentioned you in my blog. You’re welcome.

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