Cancer is a disease that plagues all of us and is a pain in the neck for many families, and even if we pour out all of our family's money, we may not be able to save the lives of our loved ones who are plagued by cancer. If only we could develop a vaccine to prevent cancer as we have done with hepatitis B, smallpox, and HPV. So the Guardian's report that a cancer vaccine could be available by 2030 is certainly a bombshell.
But even if a cancer vaccine is available, that doesn't mean cancer has been conquered. Below I will briefly introduce this BioNTech, which is likely to invent a cancer vaccine, and the principle of the vaccine, and explain three reasons why the creation of a vaccine does not mean that cancer has been conquered (high cost, many types of cancer cells, and the body type varies from person to person).
Screenshot of news report
I.? German biotech company BioNTech
BioNTech is a German biotech company that at one time was the largest biotech unicorn in Europe (a metaphor for extraordinary strength). It has been working on the mRMA cancer vaccine since before the outbreak, and then collaborated with Pfizer in the U.S. to develop and produce an mRNA vaccine for the new crowns. In turn, the development of the new crown vaccine accelerated the development of cancer vaccines.
BioNTech's two founders, video interview
Turelli (?zlem Türeci, one of the company's founders) said the same approach could be taken with the New Crown vaccine to kick-start the immune system in the human body to look for destructive cancer cells, which could then be removed. Instead of carrying a code that recognizes viruses, the cancer vaccine contains genetic instructions for cancer antigens, and cancer cells could be destroyed in this same way.
Two: Principles of Cancer Vaccines
Cancer vaccines, also known as mRNA vaccines, are designed to produce an immune response in the human body by injecting a specific mRNA into the body. If a mutated cancer cell is encountered in the future, the body's immune mechanism will respond quickly to eliminate the cancer cell before it has had time to grow and spread. If it can be recognized and eliminated by the immune cells at an early stage, cancer will not form.
To make an analogy, comparing a cancer cell to a person who has gone astray and is gifted, having the vaccine is the same as posting a wanted notice for such a person all over the world, so that it will be rounded up as soon as it appears. Cancer cells are produced by the mutation of normal cells, their differentiation and division ability is strong, the development of downline, the ability to grow the organization is also outstanding, so to eliminate the cancer cells must be before it is too late. They have proteins on their surface that normal cells do not have, which can also be said to be a mark unique to the villain. With the vaccine, this protein can be mass-produced, giving the immune cells a long look, so they'll know what to do the next time they encounter a cancer cell.
In a not-so-specialized way, mRNAs are the molds (production tools) for proteins, and they are used in cells to convert peptides into proteins through a biological reaction. mRNAs are different, so are the proteins they produce. The mRNAs in cancer vaccines are small molecules that can enter human cells and produce proteins that are specific to the surface of cancer cells (these proteins are not harmful to the human body). This protein activates our immune system so that if a cell tries to turn into a cancer cell, it will be quickly recognized and destroyed.
Three, the vaccine does not mean that cancer has been conquered
If a cancer vaccine is really introduced, we will still be very happy, after all, can prevent cancer, but this does not mean that cancer has been conquered. I don't think cancer has been conquered in the sense that a few rich people can get a cancer vaccine and not get cancer, but that most people can afford the vaccine, making cancer a rare disease. Only when getting cancer is as uncommon as getting smallpox is, then it will be called overcome. Here are some specific reasons why even if a vaccine comes out, it doesn't mean cancer hasn't been overcome.
1. High cost
It is well known that treating cancer is expensive. Sadly, many people who get cancer can't be cured, even with everything they have. My grandfather and grandmother died of lung cancer and breast cancer, so I used to wish there was a cancer vaccine. Now that the cancer vaccine is in the works, I've come to realize that even if it had come out twenty years earlier, there's a chance that my loved ones who died of cancer would have died in the same way. Because vaccines are expensive.
Cancer vaccines are mRNA vaccines, and unlike protein vaccines, it's harder and more expensive to produce. And there is a huge demand for cancer vaccines, and I'm sure everyone wants them if they can get them. An oversupply would also lead to a high price. If a cancer vaccine is introduced, it could be priced out of the market for a long time.
In fact, we can draw an analogy with the nine-valent one, which has been out for so many years and is still very much in demand. In a way the nine-valent vaccine is also a cancer vaccine, preventing certain cancers by preventing the HPV virus that causes them. The price of the vaccine is not that low, the cost of production of the cancer vaccine is there, the price will only go up. Some netizens speculate that it could cost several hundred thousand dollars, while others say it could cost millions. Even if it's a hundred thousand dollars, there are people who won't go for the shot because they can't afford it or they have a hard time making ends meet. Unless it's free for everyone, like cowpox vaccination, the cancer vaccine will not be considered popularized, and that will be one step closer to conquering cancer. （
2. There are many types of cancer
Cancer can be found in every part of our body except nails and hair. There are many types of cancer cells, so if the cancer vaccine can only protect against a few specific types of cancer cells, the point of vaccination becomes smaller. And protecting against only a few specific kinds doesn't mean that the cancer has been conquered.
BioNTech says that because the cancer cells that make up a tumor can contain a number of different proteins, it makes it extremely difficult to make a vaccine that targets all cancer cells but not healthy tissue.
Making vaccines that protect against all cancer cells is very difficult. For example, if some cancer cells are in people who wear red hats, and some cancer cells are in people who wear green capes, and some cancer cells have unique tastes, it would not be possible to target only red hats or green capes. If a vaccine were invented to target people with arms and legs, it would indeed wipe out the cancer cells, but the normal cells are also lying in wait.
Dividing cancer cells
Personally, I have a feeling that BioNTech's future cancer vaccines will target specific cancer cells, such as the melanoma cells they have been working on. Such a vaccine could indeed prevent some cancers, but there is still a long way to go before cancer is conquered. ( Some biomedical industry R&D personnel explained to the media that the cancer vaccine here, unlike the HPV vaccine, has no preventive function and can only be used for treatment. If there is only a therapeutic effect, then there is a much longer way to go before it can be conquered. ()
3. Physical fitness varies from person to person
In principle, cancer vaccines prevent cancer by awakening the body's immune system, which is the same principle as most vaccines for infectious diseases.
But some people may get sick even after vaccination because of different body types. And some people will be unsuitable for vaccination because of their body type. So even if a vaccine that immunizes against all cancers was available and given to everyone for free, then cancer could still happen. And cancer cells have a lot of similarities to normal cells, so a vaccine that targets cancer cells would have a much higher probability of having an adverse reaction to the body, and even if it were free, our constitution would probably not allow us to be vaccinated.
The introduction of a cancer vaccine does not mean that cancer has been conquered. But its introduction would still be of extraordinary significance to all of us as human beings. If it is introduced, its status will be no less than the achievement of any invention in history. If it can be invented and popularized soon, even if our generation can't conquer cancer, maybe our children and grandchildren can get rid of the shadow of cancer.