Researchers discovered another potential side effect that isn't getting nearly as much attention/ What is it and why is it important? Here's what you need to know.
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Researchers examined clinical outcomes for more than 1,000 late-stage melanoma and lung cancer patients who were treated with a type of immunotherapy called immune checkpoint inhibitors. Immune checkpoint inhibitors block a protein that tumor cells create to deactivate immune cells, essentially training patients' immune systems to kill cancer cells.
Uh, this is pretty huge, but what does it all actually mean in practice? We asked infectious disease experts and oncologists to explain.
"This study opens an intriguing possibility: that modern mRNA vaccines—originally designed to prevent viral infections—may enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint blockade," Dr. Zihai Li, MD., Ph.D., founding director ofPelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, Klotz Memorial Chair in Cancer Research and professor at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, explains. "In other words, receiving an mRNA vaccine around the time of immunotherapy could 'prime' the immune system to respond more vigorously against cancer."
"The findings are most directly relevant to solid tumors such as lung cancer and melanoma, where they have the most data, and that checkpoint blockade is already a mainstay of treatment," he says. "However, much remains to be learned ... In patients, the only mRNA vaccines they looked at were mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV2. If confirmed, these findings could reshape how we integrate vaccines and immunotherapy, transforming preventive vaccines into therapeutic allies against cancer."
"Current clinical guidelines, including those from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), do not recognize direct anti-cancer effects as a rationale for COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients," Dr. Steven Goldberg, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at HealthTrackRx, advises. "The primary benefit of COVID-19 vaccination in this population is the prevention of COVID-19 and its complications."
Can Other Vaccines Help Fight Cancer?
The study showed a lot of promise in terms of two specific types of mRNA COVID vaccines in the fight against certain cancers. Could other vaccines show that benefit too?
"This study just looked at mRNA based COVID vaccines, but it did look at different manufacturers," Dr. S. Wesley Long, MD, Ph.D., associate professor of clinical pathology and genomic medicine at Houston Methodist, concurs. "We don’t yet know if the same benefits might extend to other mRNA vaccines, or vaccination in general."
"The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, for example, is an established immunotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and is known to induce 'trained immunity,' a process that enhances the responsiveness of the immune system to tumor cells.""Vaccines such as HPV and hepatitis B are specifically designed to prevent virus-induced cancers, but COVID-19 vaccines are not in this category.""Vaccines like influenza and pneumococcus have also been studied for their potential to modulate immune responses in cancer patients, but there is no consistent evidence that they directly inhibit tumor growth or metastasis."
Related: These Are the Vaccine Side Effects You Should Worry About, According to Infectious Disease Experts
There was an expected rise in the next few years in cancer incidence due to the lack of diagnosis in 2020, he explains. "Again, this was not due to vaccines but rather a lack of testing during the pandemic. A study like this is actually showing a potential survival benefit to the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with advanced cancer. And, while there are patients who do have some side effects from vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccine is still thought to be a very safe vaccine overall."
Related: The One Thing Cardiologists Are Begging You to Do for Your Heart Health This Fall and Winter
Sources:
Dr. Steven Goldberg, MD, MBADr. Zihai Li, MD., Ph.D.Dr. S. Wesley Long, MD, Ph.D.Dr. Jeff Yorio, MDGrippin, A.J., Marconi, C., Copling, S. et al. "SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines sensitize tumours to immune checkpoint blockade." Nature (2025).Hence then, the article about the surprising covid vaccine side effect no one s talking about was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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