Stem Cells Could Provide Colon Cancer Vaccine

Immunologists from China and the US have discovered that stem cells can trick the immune system acting as a vaccine against colon cancer. The study showed that when human embryonic stem cells are injected into mice it produced a reliable immune response towards colon cancer cells.  

This novel approach uses stem cells to convince the immune system that there is a cancer present thus triggering an immune response from the body. The researchers observed a significant reduction in tumor growth in the immunized mice, demonstrating a strong anti-tumor response. However, the same did not hold true when pluripotent stem cells were administered, demonstrating the importance of using embryonic stem cells. 

Eventually this method could offer a universal vaccine for cancer by generating an immune response to a broad spectrum of cancers.