A new experimental cancer vaccine developed by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy has delivered highly encouraging early results for a rare and aggressive form of liver cancer that mainly affects children and young adults.
The vaccine, which is still in early-stage clinical testing, is designed to train the immune system to recognise and attack fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), a tumour type that currently has no approved targeted therapies and limited treatment options. Surgery is often the only viable intervention, and relapse rates remain high.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins reported that several trial participants developed strong and durable immune responses after receiving the vaccine, with early indications of tumour stabilisation in some cases. Although the number of patients treated so far is small, scientists say the initial results justify accelerated research.
Dr [Name], an immunotherapy specialist involved in the project, said the findings give “new hope for a disease that has historically offered very little.” FLC typically develops in otherwise healthy adolescents and young adults and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage.
The vaccine uses a tumour-specific protein found almost exclusively on FLC cells. By presenting this protein to the immune system in a controlled manner, the vaccine aims to trigger a precise attack against cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.
Researchers caution that more extensive trials are needed to determine long-term safety, effectiveness, and whether the vaccine can be combined with surgery or other treatments to improve survival rates. However, they describe the breakthrough as one of the most promising advances yet for a disease long considered extremely difficult to treat.
