Cancer vaccines represent a groundbreaking area of medical research, aiming to prevent or treat various forms of the disease. Scientists are exploring...
A cancer vaccine is a medical treatment designed to either prevent cancer (prophylactic) or treat existing cancer (therapeutic) by stimulating the body's immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells or prevent certain infections known to cause cancer.
Prophylactic vaccines aim to prevent cancer by targeting viruses known to cause it, like HPV. Therapeutic vaccines are designed to treat existing cancer by teaching the immune system to attack specific cancer cells within the body.
Yes, some prophylactic vaccines, such as those for HPV, are widely available. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are largely in clinical trials, though a few are approved for specific advanced cancers, like prostate cancer (e.g., Sipuleucel-T).
Cancer vaccines work by introducing cancer-specific antigens to the immune system. This 'trains' the immune cells, such as T-cells, to identify and destroy cancer cells or cells infected with cancer-causing viruses, much like traditional vaccines fight infectious diseases.