New vaccine hope in cervical cancer fight

SCIENTISTS are one step closer to developing a vaccine for cervical cancer after trials in mice showed it reduced tumours 80 per cent of the time.

Researchers tested a trio of mRNA vaccines – the basis of which formed the Covid jab – on tumours caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

While HPV doesn’t cause problems for most people, it can increase the risk of some types of cancer such as cervical. The three vaccines were individually trialled on mice with HPV tumours – and analysis of results published in the journal Science Translational Medicine found each vaccine could reduce the size of the tumours with a single dose.

‘Even single low doses of the vaccines elicited strong immune responses and led to complete tumour regression in 80 per cent of the mice at advanced stages,’ the team from the Universities of Pennsylvania and São Paulo said.

A vaccine already given to young people can protect against HPV, and prevent cancers caused by it, but does not treat those with tumours.

The findings were presented at the conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington. Further clinical trials will be needed, the team explained.