New vaccine can prevent aggressive cancers in mice
Scientists at UMass Amherst have created a new lipid nanoparticle vaccine that stopped up to 88% of aggressive cancers—like melanoma, pancreatic cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer—in mice.
The secret? It uses two immune boosters together, training the body's defenses to spot and destroy tumor cells before they can take hold.
Mice that got the vaccine stayed cancer-free
This vaccine sends a double signal to the immune system, activating key cells in the lymph nodes and priming both T-cells and B-cells to fight cancer.
Mice that got the vaccine stayed cancer-free, even after repeated tumor challenges, while those without it developed tumors and died within weeks.
Their work could be a big step toward future cancer treatment
The researchers behind this, Prabhani Atukorale and Griffin Kane, have started a company—NanoVax Therapeutics—to translate the vaccine toward clinical applications, including future human trials.
Their work, published in Cell Reports Medicine in October 2025, could be a big step toward future cancer prevention and treatment.