Locating a set microproteins produced in liver tumors could pave the way for the development of cancer vaccines, according to research published in the journal Science Advances.

The research team, led by the Hospital del Mar research institute in Barcelona, ​​studied data from tumors and healthy tissues from over 100 patients with cancer tth liver and identified a group of small molecules exclusively for liver tumors, that is, very small proteins that are only expressed by cancer cells. This discovery was made possible through a combination of computational techniques combined with laboratory experiments.

The study of microproteins, the researchers emphasize, could lead to the development of new treatments. As noted, the development of cancer vaccines relies on the immune system’s ability to recognize foreign molecules that are not part of the body, and mutations in cancer cells create foreign peptides that alert the immune system. However, the challenge lies in cancers that have low mutation rates, such as liver cancer.

“We saw that some of these microproteins can stimulate the immune system, potentially creating a response against cancer cells. This response can be boosted by vaccines similar to the coronavirus vaccines, but which produce these microproteins. These vaccines could stop or reduce the growth of tumors,” explains researcher Puri Fortes from Cima University in Navarre and the biomedical research center CIBERehd.

Administering these vaccines could be relatively simple, the researchers note, although research into their development has not yet begun.