COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Show Promise in Extending Cancer Patient Lifespans, Study Finds
BOSTON, MA – A new study reveals that COVID-19 mRNA vaccination may substantially improve outcomes for patients undergoing cancer treatment, potentially extending their lives by months. Researchers found that lung and skin cancer patients who received the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine experienced notably longer survival rates compared to unvaccinated counterparts.
The research, published recently, centers on the hypothesis that the mRNA vaccination triggers a powerful immune response – a “cytokine storm” – similar to that seen during a COVID-19 infection, but without the detrimental derailment of the immune system. Specifically, the vaccination caused an 8-fold increase in the IL-8 cytokine and a 265-fold increase in the IFN-α cytokine.
The study involved 180 lung cancer patients, where those vaccinated lived almost 40 months on average, double the 20 months observed in unvaccinated patients during a 100-day period. Among 43 skin cancer patients, vaccination correlated with a lifespan of 30 to 40 months, compared to just under 28 months for those not vaccinated. All patients included in the study had stage three or four cancer, frequently enough characterized by limited treatment effectiveness.
Researchers believe the vaccine may activate the PD-L1 protein within tumors, enhancing their response to immunotherapy.
“The impact is exceptional – this could revolutionize the entire field of oncology care,” stated oncologist and co-senior author Elias Sayour to Eurekalert. “A vaccine can now be developed that mobilizes the immune response. This would work as a global cancer vaccine for all cancer patients. When it comes to advanced cancer, the aim is not to cure it, but to significantly extend life.”
Alfred Zippelius, a researcher and oncologist at the University Hospital of Basel, called the results “scientifically remarkable and extremely promising,” emphasizing the need for confirmation through a clinical study. ”It is the right approach to now check the retrospective observational study in a clinical study,” he said.
However, Zippelius cautioned, “Untill these studies are completed, it is to early to routinely use this method in patients.”
Sayour’s laboratory previously discovered in July that stimulating the immune system – as if fighting a virus – is sufficient to generate an anti-tumor response, without needing to target specific tumor proteins. Sayour has patented a non-specific mRNA vaccine based on this principle, which demonstrated a strong anti-tumor reaction in laboratory mice.
