In this study, scientists funded by Cancer Research UK will identify the target molecules for the vaccine. They will find out which proteins on the surface of early-stage ovarian cancer cells are most recognised by the immune system and how effectively the vaccine kills mini-models of ovarian cancer, called organoids.
If this research is successful, clinical trials of the vaccine will begin. The hope is that in the future, women can be offered this vaccine to prevent ovarian cancer from developing in the first place.
In the UK, there are around 7,500 new cases of ovarian cancer every year. It is the sixth most common cancer in women*. Currently, there is no screening programme for the disease and some women with inherited copies of altered genes are at higher risk.
For women with altered BRCA1 genes, the risk of ovarian cancer is up to 65% higher, and for women with altered BRCA2 genes, it is up to 35% higher than for women without these gene alterations**. Currently, women with BRCA1/2 alterations are advised to have their ovaries removed by the age of 35, meaning they will no longer be able to have children in the future and will enter the menopause early.
Previous research by Professor Ahmed and his team at the University of Oxford has shown that immune cells from patients with ovarian cancer 'remember' the tumour. Building on this research, scientists will train the immune system to recognise over 100 proteins on the surface of ovarian cancer, known as tumour-associated antigens.
They will find out which of these antigens cause the immune system to recognise and kill cells that are developing into ovarian cancer. The study will use tissue samples from the ovaries and fallopian tubes of people with ovarian cancer to recreate the early stages of ovarian cancer.
Researchers will work with patient and public contributors to find out who would be willing to have the vaccine, who would benefit most, how the vaccine could be administered and how to ensure that as many suitable women as possible receive the vaccine if it proves successful in future clinical trials.
It will be many years before the vaccine is widely available to women at risk of ovarian cancer. However, this funding is an exciting step towards a future where doctors can prevent early-stage ovarian cancer rather than treating it once the disease has already taken hold.
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/research-opportunities-in-prevention-and-population-research
