Cancer Center researchers study if vaccines can prevent lung cancer recurrence
WLWT highlights innovative clinical trial
WLWT highlighted a University of Cincinnati Cancer Center clinical trial exploring whether personalized mRNA vaccines are effective at reducing lung cancer recurrence.
"Cancer vaccines, vaccines to prevent cancer, have been kind of the holy grail. Can we design a vaccine to prevent cancer? That's not really quite what this trial is looking at," Jennifer Leddon, MD, Cancer Center physician researcher and assistant professor in UC's College of Medicine, told WLWT. "It's really more looking at can we prevent cancer recurrence in someone who's already had cancer? That's where the personalized comes in. They make the vaccine from your cancer. They figure out what are the vulnerabilities of your cancer that they can target."
The vaccines are developed from a patient's own surgically removed tumor. In combination with immunotherapy, doctors are seeking to train the body's immune system to fight off remaining cancer cells.
"I could absolutely envision a scenario where they use the information from this study to identify common tumor antigens that are shared across many patients," Leddon said. "Not just your individual but many patients, and design a preventative vaccine based off of that."
The trial is open for patients seeking additional treatment options for lung cancer. Patients who have localized Stage II-II B (N2) lung cancer and are candidates for surgery may qualify. Patients can call 513-585-UCCC for more information.
Read about a similar pancreatic cancer vaccine trial at the Cancer Center.
Featured image at top: KRAS-driven lung cancer cells. Created by Eric Snyder, 2015. Image used courtesy of the National Institutes of Health.
Stay connected with the Cancer Center
Interested in learning more about the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center? Keep up to date by signing up for communications and newsletters based on your specific interests. Sign up for Cancer Center communications.
Related Stories
UC expands partnership with Thales for AI research
April 22, 2026
The University of Cincinnati’s interdisciplinary research facility Digital Futures welcomed its first industrial partner, Thales, at the beginning of Research + Innovation week. Thales is a global aerospace, defense and digital technology firm. Headquartered in France, it employs 83,000 people in dozens of countries, according to the Business Courier.
Record-setting UC track and field star sprints toward the future
April 22, 2026
University of Cincinnati student‑athlete Juliette Laracuente‑Huebner is graduating in three years with a 4.0 GPA, UC track and field records and All‑America honors, while pursuing a Doctor of Audiology and training for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
UC students train scientists in detecting 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
April 22, 2026
Geosciences students and faculty at the University of Cincinnati shared their expertise federal scientists from across the country in the latest tools to study groundwater.