COVID-19 vaccines may help some cancer patients fight tumors

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Category: Science/Environment

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. rev up (something) / rɛv ʌp / (phrasal v.) – to make something go faster, more active, or more effective
    Example:

    Researchers found that exercise helps in revving up the body’s metabolism.


  2. cutting-edge / ˌkʌt ɪŋ ˈedʒ / (adj.) – very modern, new, and advanced
    Example:

    This company uses cutting-edge technology to produce electric cars.


  3. skepticism / ˈskɛp təˌsɪz əm / (n.) – the attitude of showing doubt or not easily believing something is true until there is evidence or proof
    Example:

    There was a lot of skepticism about the new medicine until the tests proved it worked.


  4. rigorous / ˈrɪɡ ə rəs / (adj.) – very careful, exact, and done with great attention and discipline
    Example:

    Scientists follow a rigorous process to make sure their results are correct.


  5. spur / spɜr / (v.) – to encourage something to take action or cause something to happen faster
    Example:

    The new policy was designed to spur economic growth.


Article

Read the text below.

The most widely used COVID-19 vaccines may offer a surprise benefit for some cancer patients—revving up their immune systems to help fight tumors. People with advanced lung or skin cancer who were taking certain immunotherapy drugs lived substantially longer if they also got a Pfizer or Moderna shot within 100 days of starting treatment, according to preliminary research reported in the journal Nature.


And it had nothing to do with virus infections. Instead, the molecule that powers those specific vaccines, mRNA, appears to help the immune system respond better to the cutting-edge cancer treatment, concluded researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Florida.


The vaccine “acts like a siren to activate immune cells throughout the body,” said lead researcher Dr. Adam Grippin of MD Anderson.


Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised skepticism about mRNA vaccines, cutting $500 million in funding for some uses of the technology.


But this research team found its results so promising that it is preparing a more rigorous study to see if mRNA coronavirus vaccines should be paired with cancer drugs called checkpoint inhibitors—an interim step while it designs new mRNA vaccines for use in cancer.


A healthy immune system often kills cancer cells before they become a threat. But some tumors evolve to hide from immune attack. Checkpoint inhibitors remove that cloak. It’s a powerful treatment—when it works. Some people’s immune cells still don’t recognize the tumor.


Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is naturally found in every cell, and it contains genetic instructions for our bodies to make proteins. While best known as the Nobel Prize-winning technology behind COVID-19 vaccines, scientists have long been trying to create personalized mRNA “treatment vaccines” that train immune cells to spot unique features of a patient’s tumor.


Dr. Grippin and his Florida colleagues had been developing personalized mRNA cancer vaccines when they realized that even one created without a specific target appeared to spur similar immune activity against cancer.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • A preliminary study on COVID-19 vaccines had promising results, so the research team is preparing a more rigorous study to see if they should be paired with cancer drugs. Do you think such a follow-up study is necessary? Why or why not? How do you think the government, non-government organizations, and private companies can support such a study (ex. provide funding)? Discuss.
  • US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised skepticism about mRNA vaccines and cut $500 million in funding. What do you think of his decision? Do you support it? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Researchers found that mRNA vaccines may help cancer treatments, but some people are skeptical. What is your usual attitude toward new medicine/treatment (ex. skeptical, willing to try them)? When you’re skeptical toward new medicine/treatment, what do you usually do (ex. reject it, do research to understand it better)? Discuss.
  • Some government officials, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have expressed doubts about mRNA vaccines. What do you think happens to people’s trust in science and medicine when government leaders and scientists do not agree? Do you think skepticism about science is healthy or harmful for society? Why do you say so? Discuss.