The British Cancer Research Fund donated more than 780,000 USD to Oxford University over three years to develop the OvarianVax ovarian cancer vaccine.
Theo BBCthe vaccine aims to train the immune system to recognize ovarian cancer surface proteins. The goal is to reduce the size or eliminate the tumor.
Forbes The injection will target the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which are two “culprits” that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in humans. The vaccine also has a different mechanism of action from the HPV shot, but it has not been specifically stated.
The team of experts will use ovarian cancer samples donated by patients to look for common features or abnormal proteins recognized by the immune system. These generics or proteins are then used to create vaccines. If successful, OvarianVax could train the immune system to attack any abnormal ovarian cells, even if there are no signs of disease.
Initially, the vaccine is researched in the laboratory, then transferred to testing on patients. In the next stage, the injection will be tested on a larger scale, to test its ability to prevent ovarian cancer.
Illustration of cancer vaccine research. Image: Vecteezy
Professor Ahmed Ahmed, Director of the Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, Oxford University, head of the OvarianVax project, expects the vaccine to be effective and become part of the ovarian cancer prevention strategy.
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, second only to cervical cancer. According to Cancer Research UK, the disease mainly affects women over 50 years old. Ovarian cancer symptoms are unclear and there are no screening tests, so it is often diagnosed late. Each year, the UK records about 7,500 new cases of ovarian cancer.
Women who do not carry the gene have a risk of ovarian cancer of about 2%. People who carry the BRCA gene mutation have a risk of up to 45% and are recommended to have their ovaries removed when they are about 30 years old, leading to early menopause.