Scientists discover new vaccine to wipe out ovarian cancer: Video
Scientists at the University of Oxford are working on a new vaccine that could potentially wipe out ovarian cancer.
The OvarianVax could be the world’s first vaccine for ovarian cancer if successful.
Researchers say the vaccine teaches the immune system to recognise and attack the early stages of the disease.
A jab will work similarly to the papillomavirus (HPV) jab which aims at preventing cervical cancer.
Professor Ahmed Ahmed and his team at the ovarian cancer cell laboratory at MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at the university are working to identify cellular targets for the vaccine.
The cancer research in the UK is funding the study with up to 600,000 pounds over the next three years.
“It really will depend on the efficacy of the vaccine. So the work that we are set out to do is about testing the components of the vaccine to try to identify and shortlist components that are most likely to be the most effective ones. And then the hope is that this would have coverage of a wider group of women so that it would prevent ovarian cancer in those women,” Prof. Ahmed was quoted by the AFP.
Whether it would eliminate as in completely abolish ovarian cancer. It's highly unlikely, but my hope is that it would have a significant impact on reducing the number of, uh, ovarian cancer cases in the future
