Scientists may be one step closer to a universal cancer vaccine that could revolutionize how the disease is treated.

The vaccine uses mRNA, messenger RNA, the same technology behind the COVID-19 vaccines, which carries instructions for cells to produce specific proteins.

However, instead of directing cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response, researchers at the University of Florida used mRNA that acts as a red flag itself, immediately alerting the immune system and prompting a reaction.

In their study, mice implanted with human melanoma tumors were treated with the mRNA vaccine alongside immunotherapy drugs, medications designed to harness and boost the immune system, once a week for three weeks.

The combination helped immune cells recognize and attack the cancer, leading to tumor shrinkage and, in some cases, complete disappearance. In most cases, however, the tumors simply stopped growing.

All untreated mice died within 50 days, but among those that received the vaccine and immunotherapy, every mouse survived at least 60 days, and more than half were still alive at day 100 when the experiment ended.

The research remains in its early stages and has not yet been tested in humans, but scientists said it offers a promising glimpse into a future where chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery may no longer be necessary in the fight against cancer.

Dr Elias Sayor, a pediatric oncologist which led the research, said: ‘This paper describes a very unexpected and exciting observation: That even a vaccine not specific to any particular tumor or virus could lead to tumor-specific effects. 

Scientists say they are working on a new universal cancer vaccine (stock photo)

‘This finding is proof of concept that these vaccines potentially could be commercialized as universal cancer vaccines that might sensitize the immune system against a patient’s individual tumor,’ she continued.

Scientists consider developing a cancer vaccine, targeting one of the leading causes of death, to be a ‘holy grail’ of medical breakthroughs.

There are currently two main approaches in cancer vaccine development, including  identifying a common target found in many patients with a particular cancer, or creating a personalized vaccine tailored to an individual’s specific tumor.

However, the team behind this new research believes their study introduces a promising third approach, one that focuses on stimulating a powerful immune response rather than targeting cancer directly.

Dr Duane Mitchell, a neurosurgeon and co-author of the study, explained: ‘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 anti-cancer reaction.

‘This has significant potential to be broadly used across cancer patients, even possibly leading us to an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine.’

Each year, about 104,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. When caught early, it’s often treatable, but if the cancer spreads, the five-year survival rate drops to just 34 percent.

The vaccine has been tested on mice, with progress now ongoing to prepare to test it in humans (stock photo)

In the study, scientists used mRNA derived from mitochondria, the energy-producing structures within cells, which can also trigger a rapid immune response.

The researchers tested their new vaccine on several types of cancer in mice, including skin, bone, and brain cancers, and found that in many cases, the tumors shrank or disappeared entirely following treatment.

Dr. Elias Sayour, a pediatric oncologist and lead investigator, suggested the vaccine may help activate T cells, immune cells responsible for detecting and destroying threats, which previously failed to respond, prompting them to multiply and attack cancerous cells.

Dr. Duane Mitchell added: ‘It could potentially be a universal way of waking up a patient’s own immune response to cancer. And that would be profound if generalizable to human studies.’

While the vaccine is still likely years away from clinical use, the team says they are actively working to advance it into human trials.

The research was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.