Mahatma Gandhi Medical College gets nod to develop cancer vaccine

Jaipur: Mahatma Gandhi Medical College received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to develop first-level dendritic cell vaccine.
This makes it the first medical college in India to receive such authorisation, founder of Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Dr ML Swaranakar, said on Tuesday.
On the second day of the 4th World Congress on Translational Cancer Research & Immunotherapy (WCTCRI-2025), Swarankar said the vaccine is expected to deliver promising results in the treatment of gallbladder cancer, head and neck cancer, and ovarian cancer.
At the conference, delegates from 22 prestigious institutions from 14 Indian states and nine renowned international speakers participated in the event.
A special session was addressed by oncologists Dr Hemant Malhotra, Prof VK Kapoor, and Prof Dr Durgatosh Pandey, who emphasised the rising link between viral infections and cancer.
Experts strongly recommended Hepatitis B and HPV vaccination for children and young girls to prevent cancer risks.
Taking part in the conference, Nobel Laureate and immunologist Prof Dr James P Allison said that while a viable cancer vaccine remains two to three years away, conventional treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy would remain the principal treatment methods.
Prof Allison, who conducts research at MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, while addressing the oncologists, said significant progress in immunotherapy utilising immune cells was made. He emphasised the significance of prevention, screening initiatives, and early identification in cancer management.
During his stay, Prof Allison examined the Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and checked the progress achieved in developing a locally-produced cancer vaccine. Allison is an American immunologist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2018 for Cancer Immunotherapy.
Dr Anil Suri, director of the Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at the university, said that the cancer vaccine, created using dendritic cell technology, reached a stage which involves laboratory cultivation of a patient's immune cells to specifically target cancer cells. A locally-developed, affordable cancer vaccine is anticipated to be ready by 2027, representing a significant advancement in cancer treatment.