The Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology for Postgraduate Studies at the University of Baghdad organized a scientific symposium titled “Cancer Vaccine”, led by Assistant Professor Dr. Ammar Kazem Jawad, with Assistant Lecturer Farah Abdul Wahab as the chair and Assistant Lecturer Fatima Hussein Abbas as the rapporteur, with the participation of several professors and staff members of the institute.
The symposium aimed to educate participants on the science behind cancer vaccines, including their preventive and therapeutic types, and to highlight the role of the immune system in identifying and combating cancer cells.
The symposium covered an introduction to cancer vaccines, their types, and the importance of their development in fighting the disease, the role of the immune system in recognizing and eliminating cancer cells and how cancer cells manipulate the immune system to evade immune attacks.
Additionally, the symposium explained the different cancer vaccines, including:
- Preventive (prophylactic) vaccines, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer, and the hepatitis B vaccine, which helps prevent liver cancer.
- Therapeutic (immunotherapy) vaccines, which stimulate the immune system to directly target cancer cells.
The symposium also addressed various challenges and limitations in cancer vaccine development, including the difficulty in targeting all cancer types and variability in immune responses among patients.
Finally, the symposium recommended supporting scientific research in the field of cancer vaccines, increasing awareness campaigns on their importance, and encouraging participation in clinical trials to test new cancer vaccines.
