Cancer cure found? Scientists create a new mRNA vaccine that triggers strong anticancer immune response against tumours
Towards a universal cancer vaccine
Live Events
Building on past research
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
In a major development in cancer research , scientists at the University of Florida have created an experimental mRNA vaccine that stimulates the immune system to attack tumours. According to a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the vaccine, when used alongside immune checkpoint inhibitors, produced a strong antitumor effect in mice.The vaccine does not target specific cancer proteins. Instead, it activates the immune system in the same way it would respond to a virus. Researchers found that the vaccine increased the levels of a protein called PD-L1 within tumours, making them more sensitive to immunotherapy.Dr. Elias Sayour, a paediatric oncologist at UF Health and the lead researcher, said this development could lead to a new form of cancer treatment that does not rely entirely on surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and other leading institutions.'This paper describes a very unexpected and exciting observation: that even a vaccine not specific to any particular tumor or virus – so long as it is an mRNA vaccine – could lead to tumor-specific effects,' said Sayour, who is also the principal investigator at the RNA Engineering Laboratory at UF's Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy.Sayour added, 'This finding is a proof of concept that these vaccines potentially could be commercialised as universal cancer vaccine s to sensitise the immune system against a patient's individual tumor.'The research challenges the two current approaches in cancer-vaccine development: targeting common proteins found in cancer patients or customising a vaccine for each patient. This study suggests a third path that focuses on stimulating a broad immune response.'This study suggests a third emerging paradigm,' said Duane Mitchell, MD, PhD, a co-author of the paper. 'What we found is by using a vaccine designed not to target cancer specifically but rather to stimulate a strong immunologic response, we could elicit a very strong anticancer reaction. And so this has significant potential to be broadly used across cancer patients, even possibly leading us to an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine .'Sayour has spent more than eight years developing mRNA-based cancer vaccines using lipid nanoparticles. These vaccines work by delivering messenger RNA (mRNA), a molecule that instructs cells to make specific proteins, into the body to prompt an immune reaction.Last year, Sayour's lab conducted a human trial using a personalised mRNA vaccine made from a patient's own tumour cells. The treatment quickly activated the immune system to fight glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer. The new study builds on that work by testing a generalised mRNA vaccine, not specific to any virus or cancer mutation.The formulation of this new vaccine is similar to the technology used in COVID-19 vaccines but is designed to prompt a general immune response rather than target a specific protein like the COVID spike protein.If the vaccine shows similar results in future human studies, it could lead to a universal tool in the fight against cancer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Meta's mind-reading wristband lets you control computers with just a thought
Meta has unveiled a revolutionary wristband that reads electrical signals from your muscles to control computers without lifting a finger. The experimental device, detailed in a research paper published Wednesday in Nature journal, can move cursors, open apps, and even type letters in the air simply by detecting what you intend to do, before you actually do it. The prototype looks like an oversized smartwatch, wearing which users can navigate their laptop screen with a gentle wrist turn, launch desktop applications by tapping thumb to forefinger, or write messages by tracing letters in the air as if holding an invisible pencil. According to the New York Times, the technology reads electrical signals that pulse through forearm muscles when fingers move. Unlike Elon Musk's Neuralink, which requires surgical brain implants, Meta's approach is refreshingly simple. Anyone can strap on the rectangular wristwatch-sized device and start using it immediately. Meta's implementation of mind-control technology uses surface electromyography to detect muscle signals from outside the skin, no surgery needed. How Meta's gesture control technology actually works by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo The wristband uses surface electromyography (sEMG) to capture electrical signals generated by neurons in the spinal cord before they reach muscle fibers. These signals are strong enough to read through skin and move faster than actual muscle movement, allowing the device to predict actions milliseconds before they happen. The breakthrough lies in Meta's ability to isolate individual muscle fiber activity at what Reardon calls "the atomic level of the nervous system." When you think about moving your finger, your brain sends electrical commands through alpha motor neurons that connect directly to specific muscle fibers. Because these neural signals are so strong when they reach the muscles, the wristband's sensors can detect them through the skin without needing brain surgery. The device can read these signals even when only a tiny number of fibers activate, allowing users to control computers through pure intention rather than physical movement. "You don't have to actually move," Thomas Reardon, Meta's vice president of research leading the project, told the Times. "You just have to intend the move." The team trained artificial intelligence on data from 10,000 volunteers to identify common electrical patterns, making the device work immediately for new users without calibration. AI breakthrough solves decades-old problems Meta says it used artificial intelligence to analyse muscle signal patterns. After collecting data from 10,000 volunteers, researchers used neural networks to identify common electrical patterns that work across different users. "Out of the box, it can work with a new user it has never seen data for," explained Patrick Kaifosh , director of research science at Meta's Reality Labs. This AI breakthrough solved the decades-old calibration problem that killed earlier devices like the discontinued Myo armband. The company has already demonstrated the wristband's commercial potential by pairing it with experimental smart glasses last fall. The combination allows users to take photos, record videos, play music, and access verbal descriptions of their surroundings, all through simple hand gestures. This integration points to Meta's future strategy, with plans to integrate the wristband into products over the next few years, potentially starting with their smart glasses. The technology also opens up transformative possibilities for people with disabilities. Carnegie Mellon researchers are testing the wristband with spinal cord injury patients who retain some muscle activity but can't fully use their hands. Even with complete hand paralysis, the device can interpret intended actions from minimal muscle fiber activation, providing new pathways for digital interaction. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Wristband that senses your muscle signals could soon replace keyboards and touchscreens, says Meta
For many years, people have found new ways to interact with computers. Now, Meta is developing a wristband that allows users to control devices by reading muscle signals from the wrist. This new technology uses subtle hand movements to operate computers without the need for keyboards, mice, or screens, making interaction more natural and easier. Meta's Reality Labs has been studying a technology called surface electromyography, or sEMG. This method measures tiny electrical signals produced by muscles in the wrist when the user moves their hand. By detecting these signals, computers can understand gestures such as tapping, swiping, and pinching. The system works without bulky equipment and does not require invasive sensors, making it a potentially great solution. Meta recently published a paper in the journal Nature to share their progress. They trained machine learning models using data from over 300 people performing various tasks. Their models are able to interpret muscle signals accurately across a wide range of users without needing much personal calibration. In fact, the accuracy improves with some individual adjustments which makes the technology adaptable to different users. The wristband was first tested with Meta's augmented reality glasses known as Orion. This setup allows people to type messages, control menus, and engage with digital content just by moving their hands. The wristband can even recognise handwriting on a surface such as a table or a leg. Fascinating, right? This discreet method of communication is useful in situations where voice or traditional inputs are inconvenient. One important advantage of this technology is its inclusivity. It works well for people with various physical abilities without needing implants or complicated devices. Because it is non-invasive and comfortable, it can help people who face difficulty using regular input devices gain greater independence. Meta is also sharing the data, software models, and design guidelines with researchers. This open approach aims to accelerate new discoveries and innovations in muscle signal-based device control across the world. Though still in development, this wristband may soon change the way people interact with computers. It offers a hands-free and intuitive way to control devices in settings where talking or touching a screen is not practical. What's Meta's goal? Meta envisions a future where devices understand the natural signals from our bodies. This approach moves beyond keyboards, voice commands, and touchscreens. The result could be more seamless, private, and convenient communication and control - but we'll have to wait and see.
Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Economic Times
Why do we really get wrinkles? Scientists finally explain it's not just age or sun exposure, it's physics
The Science behind wrinkles Live Events What happens inside the skin? Age isn't the only factor (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Scientists at Binghamton University in New York have discovered the exact reason why human skin forms wrinkles over time. Using real samples from people aged 16 to 91, they found that as we age, our skin stretches unevenly and contracts in ways that eventually lead to folds and process, they say, is similar to how Silly Putty behaves when stretched, pulling it one way makes it shrink in the opposite time, this contraction grows stronger, and the skin can no longer hold its shape, causing it to buckle and now, the idea that skin wrinkles due to changes in elasticity or loss of collagen and elastin was mostly based on theory or computer models. But this new study offers direct experimental Professor Guy German and his team used a low-force tensometer, a machine that stretches materials, to pull strips of human skin and measure how it discovered that skin doesn't stretch or shrink uniformly. Instead, it stretches more laterally (sideways) as we get older, while also being under constant internal stress, even at mechanical forces, always pulling the skin in different directions, increase the likelihood of wrinkling, especially when the skin's structure weakens with middle layer of the skin (the dermis) is home to proteins like collagen and elastin. These provide strength and flexibility. As we age, this layer changes. The skin becomes thinner and loses its ability to bounce time, the uneven pulling forces lead to buckling, the folds and lines we see as commonly start appearing after age 25, but age isn't the only culprit. Sun exposure plays a big role too. Long hours outdoors can cause 'photoaging,' which has the same wrinkling effects as natural aging.'If you spend your life working outside, you're more likely to have more aged and wrinkled skin than those who are office workers,' said Professor German. Sun damage weakens the skin and speeds up the wrinkling is the first time researchers have tested these theories on real human skin rather than relying on models or assumptions. For Professor German, understanding skin aging wasn't just academic, it was personal.'There's so much conflicting advice on skin health out there,' he said. 'I wanted to find out what's really true.'The findings could help shape future treatments and skincare products. Instead of simply adding moisture or boosting collagen, future solutions might target the way skin responds to tension and form because aging skin stretches unevenly and contracts more over time. This leads to internal stress and visible lines. While genetics and sun exposure still play a role, this study confirms that physics and skin mechanics are the main forces behind wrinkle formation.
