A groundbreaking cancer vaccine kept 88% of test subjects cancer-free-and stopped tumors from spreading.
This could change everything.
Developed by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the vaccine uses lipid nanoparticles to deliver both cancer-specific proteins and immune-activating ingredients directly to the body’s immune system.
This targeted delivery trains the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells-especially with the help of tumor-killing T cells. In trials, 80% of mice vaccinated against melanoma remained tumor-free for the entire 250-day study, while another version of the vaccine protected against pancreatic, breast, and melanoma cancers, with rejection rates as high as 88%.
What sets this vaccine apart is its ability to stop cancer from spreading. In all vaccinated mice, lung metastases were completely prevented-a stark contrast to the unvaccinated group, where every mouse developed secondary tumors. Researchers describe this as “memory immunity,” meaning the body continues to recognize and fight cancer cells long after vaccination. If these results translate to humans, the platform could revolutionize how we treat-and even prevent-cancer in high-risk individuals, offering a long-lasting, systemic line of defense against one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
Source: Su, L. et al. (2025). “Super-adjuvant nanoparticles for platform cancer vaccination.” Cell Reports Medicine.