Despite how hard they have tried to discredit them in some sectors, it is estimated that COVID-19 vaccinations saved at least 2.5 million lives. We are talking about people who could die from this disease. However, according to a recently published studyr scientists from the universities of Texas and Floridathey could also save many people from cancer.
In fact, these researchers believe that RNA vaccines against COVID-19 may continue to be used in the future specifically for protect cancer patients. This discovery was made by accident. When they studied the effectiveness of a particular type of immunotherapy in patients with melanoma and lung cancer, They found that this therapy was much more effective in those who received either of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. That is, or Pfizer or Moderna. Even in tumors that typically respond poorly to immunotherapy, good responses have been achieved with vaccines.
It appears that the mRNA, although not intended for this purpose, facilitates the patient’s immune system to attack tumor cells. Following this serendipitous discovery, the authors of the new study conducted a series of tests on animals, which confirmed that what they saw was not a coincidence. Now they hope to start soon clinical trials on humans.
Importance of mRNA in COVID-19 vaccines
mRNA is a molecule that contains instructions that allow protein factories in our cells, called ribosomes, to make a specific protein. For many years, long before the advent of COVID-19, these molecules were studied for vaccine development. And if there is something even safer than stimulating the immune system with a weakened pathogen, it is the introduction of a single structure of this pathogen, which can be recognized by the immune system. Moreover, it is even safer not to enter the specified structure, but only instructions for our cells to build it.
This is what mRNA vaccines are based on. In particular, in the case of COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA is injected into patients’ bodies, containing instructions for creating the protein of the virus that causes the disease: SARS-CoV-2. Once the patient’s own cellular machinery synthesizes the protein, it launches an attack by the immune system. In this way, a memory of a future infection is created, in which the specified protein is accompanied by the rest of the virus.
What does cancer have to do with all this?
mRNA vaccines could also be developed for prevent the emergence of other pathogens or even to treat cancer. In the case of cancer vaccines, they do not prevent cancer. Quicker stimulate the immune system to attack. For this purpose, tumor proteins that are most vulnerable to the body’s defenses are selected. This stimulates their production in cells in large quantities. The problem is that these choices are usually made through algorithms, in a personalized way. complicated and expensive. So when these scientists saw that mRNA from COVID-19 vaccines also made tumors more vulnerable, they discovered they were watching something very interesting.
How did they know?
The discovery was made during clinical trials involving 1000 patients in which treatment is based on immune checkpoint inhibitors. These are compounds that block the protein that serves tumor shield against the immune system. Without protection, tumors that usually go undetected by our defenses, known as cold tumors, become hot tumors.
Patients who received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-10 vaccines within 100 days of treatment were found to have more than twice the chance of being alive after 3 years.
When testing vaccines on mice with the same tumors, it was noticed that the mRNA acts as a kind of anxiety. When activated, immune cells attack the tumor. If this is combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors, success is much more likely.
In short, although further research is still needed, it appears that COVID-19 vaccines are already many ways to save lives. And to think that there were and are so many people who oppose them…
Source: Hiper Textual
