A pioneering team is working on OvarianVaxm, a promising new vaccine designed to teach the immune system to identify and combat ovarian cancer at its earliest stages.
The innovative study looks poised to move cancer prevention into a new era.
Researchers at the University of Oxford are supported by up to £600,000 in funding from Cancer Research UK.
It is focused on isolating specific proteins on the surface of early-stage ovarian cancer cells that can trigger an immune response.
By training the immune system to recognise these unique proteins, OvarianVax could be a preventive measure for women at high risk, helping to detect and eliminate cancer cells before they develop further.
Early findings involve testing how the vaccine interacts with miniaturised models of ovarian cancer, called organoids, to ensure precision in targeting and killing cancerous cells.
The need for preventive approaches in ovarian cancer is critical, with 7,500 new cases annually in the UK alone, making it the sixth most common cancer among women.
Currently, there is no established screening program, and women with BRCA1/2 gene mutations face up to a 65% higher risk of developing the disease.
The primary prevention option for high-risk women involves the surgical removal of ovaries, which, while effective, leads to early menopause and prevents future childbirth.
Professor Ahmed Ahmed, head of the Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory at Oxford, said: ‘This vaccine could allow us to offer women a preventive alternative that doesn’t limit their reproductive options. We now have advanced tools that reveal how the immune system can detect ovarian cancer, and this funding enables us to move significantly closer to developing a viable, protective vaccine.’
Previous studies by the Oxford team revealed that immune cells from ovarian cancer patients could retain the memory of the tumour.
Leveraging this knowledge, researchers are now working to train immune cells to recognise over 100 tumour-specific antigens.
Through this approach, the vaccine could ultimately prevent cancer cells from forming, offering a safeguard against ovarian cancer.
This study also involves patient and public engagement to gauge who would benefit most, how the vaccine might be administered, and to develop strategies for widespread adoption if clinical trials prove successful.
Though it may take years to reach routine clinical use, OvarianVax represents a bold step toward proactive cancer prevention. This effort aligns with Cancer Research UK’s prevention research strategy, aiming to harness lab breakthroughs for targeted cancer prevention.
Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK, emphasises the importance of this research: ‘Projects like OvarianVax reflect our commitment to preventing cancer before it takes hold, improving both survival and quality of life for women around the world.’
