MIT Technology Review is reporting that researchers have developed a new mRNA adjuvant designed to significantly amplify the body's immune response to vaccines. The advance, led by MIT chemical engineer Daniel Anderson and colleagues at MIT, Harvard, and the University of Houston, could lead to more powerful cancer vaccines and stronger protection against infectious diseases.
The publication said the adjuvant consists of mRNA molecules encoding two genes that switch immune cells into a more active state. In studies of mice modeling various cancers, injections of lipid nanoparticles containing the mRNA-encoded adjuvant slowed or eradicated many tumors. This occurred even without a specific cancer antigen vaccine, though the response was stronger when combined. The adjuvant also enhanced the immune response to immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint blockade inhibitors.
Anderson said the adjuvant substantially increases antigen-targeted T cells, which play an important role in the immune response. Christopher Garris, a Harvard Medical School professor, noted that the adjuvants create a T-cell-permissive environment, promoting tumor rejection. MIT Technology Review also reported the adjuvant boosted T-cell responses to COVID-19 and flu vaccines 10 to 15 times stronger in mice. Researchers plan further animal model testing for both cancer and infectious diseases.
Separately, a group led by Ana Jaklenec at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research has used an adjuvant to help the injectable polio vaccine induce a strong mucosal immune response in the GI tract. This could help reduce viral shedding and transmission, a key objective for polio eradication, as the injectable vaccine carries fewer risks than the oral form.
Full Article: Amping up T cells to target cancer