GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers have uncovered a previously unknown feature of the human immune system that may open the door to a universal cancer vaccine.
In a study published this month in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, UF Health scientists found that an immune response triggered by an obscure protein known as histone H2B may be key to developing a broad-spectrum cancer immunotherapy. The protein appears on the surface of multiple cancer types but not on healthy cells, making it an ideal target for a vaccine.
“Our study provides the first evidence that histone H2B can stimulate a potent T-cell response against a wide range of cancers,” said Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D., a UF Health pediatric oncologist and principal investigator on the study. “This could represent a foundational step toward the creation of a universal cancer vaccine.”
The research team observed that when cancer cells die, they can release histone H2B onto their surface, where it becomes recognizable to the immune system. Through laboratory testing and analysis of cancer patient samples, the team demonstrated that this immune response is consistent across several types of tumors, including glioblastoma, breast cancer, and melanoma.
The findings suggest that targeting H2B could enhance the immune system’s ability to detect and destroy cancer cells, especially when used in combination with existing treatments such as checkpoint inhibitors.
The study involved collaboration between UF Health’s Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, and UF’s departments of neurosurgery, pediatrics, and pathology.
While further testing and clinical trials are needed, researchers say this discovery could eventually help produce more effective immunotherapies that treat multiple cancers with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy or radiation.
“This could be a game changer,” Sayour said. “The possibility of designing a cancer vaccine that applies across tumor types could have a tremendous impact on patient care.”
