Cross-Disciplinary Breakthrough: Blood Purification Technology Paves New Path for Cancer Vaccines

Whole-cell tumor vaccines have been a focus of exploration in the field of cancer immunotherapy for over 50 years, but none has yet successfully gained approval for use in humans.

In January 2026, PhotonPharma, co-founded by Colorado State University chemist Ray Goodrich, will initiate a Phase I clinical trial at the City of Hope Cancer Center in California, marking the first application of the Mirasol process—originally developed for blood pathogen reduction using ultraviolet light and riboflavin—to cancer vaccine manufacturing.

This trial plans to enroll 8 patients with recurrent ovarian cancer,A personalized vaccine is prepared by inactivating the patient’s own tumor cells with ultraviolet light.Aims to stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack tumors. The research team hopes this approach can "delay or prevent cancer recurrence," marking another significant attempt in the field of whole-cell tumor vaccines.

In certain countries and regions worldwide, donated blood or blood components such as platelets undergo a combined disinfection treatment using ultraviolet (UV) light and riboflavin (vitamin B2) before being transfused to patients. This process, known asMirasol Processtechnology, which Ray Goodrich began developing as a graduate student in the late 1980s and refined over nearly a decade.

The underlying principle is that riboflavin binds to DNA and RNA molecules; upon exposure to ultraviolet light, it reacts with the genetic material, causing damage that prevents pathogens from replicating. This technology has been approved for blood disinfection in multiple countries and regions, including Europe and Canada, but has not yet received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The inspiration for cancer vaccines stemmed from an unexpected discovery. Goodrich observed that although white blood cells lost their viability after undergoing the Mirasol process, their cellular structures remained intact. This observation sparked an idea among the research team: if a patient’s tumor cells were inactivated using the same method and then reintroduced into the body, could this stimulate the immune system to mount an anti-tumor response? The researchers considered this approach safe, as the UV-treated cancer cells are unable to divide and therefore cannot form new tumors.

The core advantage of whole-cell tumor vaccines lies in their ability to present the entireNeoantigen, these are novel proteins absent from healthy cells that can be recognized by the immune system.

Lana Kandalaft, a cancer vaccinologist at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research’s Lausanne branch, points out that because whole-cell vaccines contain all of a tumor’s neoantigens, they may circumvent a common challenge faced by other cancer vaccines: predicting which neoantigens should be included to achieve optimal immune stimulation. However, when traditional methods such as irradiation were previously used to inactivate cancer cells, the harsh processing often caused the cells to shed their neoantigens—a key reason why whole-cell vaccines have repeatedly failed over the past five decades.

Therefore, Goodrich believes that the UV-riboflavin process is relatively mild and can preserve these key immunostimulants.

The upcoming Phase I clinical trial has selected patients with recurrent ovarian cancer as the study population. The trial protocol involves multiple steps: first, patients will undergo surgical resection of the tumor; subsequently, researchers will expose the tumor cells to riboflavin and ultraviolet light for inactivation; then, the inactivated tumor cells will be combined with what is known asAdjuvantmixed with immune-enhancing adjuvants to create personalized vaccines. Each participant will receive three doses of the vaccine, and researchers will monitor side effects and measure immune responses.

Although this marks the first test of the technology in humans, the research team had previously conducted preclinical studies in mice and dogs. However,Lawrence Fong, immunologist and medical oncologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterHe remains skeptical. He noted that attempts to use whole-cell cancer vaccines have a long history of failure, stating, “As a scientist, I would say, ‘It’s been tried and done.’” He believes that whether the ultraviolet approach can elicit a stronger immune response than previous methods “remains an open question,” and the animal data presented by the researchers did not convince him otherwise.

Olivera Finn, an immunologist at the University of Pittsburgh, also expressed skepticism. She pointed out that even if vaccines can activate immune cells, tumors are highly adept at blocking attacks. “They will face the reality of tumor-induced immunosuppression.” This highlights a core challenge facing cancer immunotherapy:Tumor Microenvironment (TME)Possesses potent immunosuppressive capacity, which may attenuate vaccine-induced immune responses.

Despite facing skepticism, the Goodrich team is not the only research group exploring whole-cell cancer vaccines.

In September 2025, the French company Brenus Pharma launched its"Ghost Cells"Phase I Clinical Trial of the Vaccine. Unlike PhotonPharma’s personalized approach, Brenus’s vaccine is prepared using standard tumor cell lines that are replication-deficient and express characteristic tumor antigens, while also incorporating molecular markers to attract immune cells. The advantage of this “off-the-shelf” product is that cancer patients can receive treatment more quickly without having to wait for their own cells to be processed.

From a technical standpoint, each of the two approaches has its own advantages and disadvantages. Personalized vaccines can precisely match the antigen profile of a patient’s own tumor, offering theoretically more targeted immune stimulation; whereas standardized vaccines boast advantages in high production efficiency and broad accessibility. The concurrent advancement of these two pathways indicates that academia and industry are exploring the potential of whole-cell vaccines from different angles.

Kandalaft is optimistic about the field’s prospects. She pointed out that other research teams are also exploring whole-cell tumor approaches, stating, “This is not a dead end; perhaps now is the time for whole-cell cancer vaccines to succeed.” This optimism reflects the rapid progress made in recent years in cancer immunotherapy. As understanding of tumor immunology deepens and technologies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors achieve success, researchers are revisiting previously unsuccessful methods to identify potential innovative breakthroughs.

However, for this technology to be truly translated into clinical applications, it still needs to overcome multiple barriers. In addition to proving safety and efficacy, a series of challenges such as standardization of production processes, quality control, and regulatory approval must also be addressed. Furthermore, cancer vaccines often need to be used in combination with other therapies to achieve optimal results, so how to optimize combination treatment regimens is also a key focus of future research.

The cross-disciplinary exploration of blood sterilization technology for cancer vaccines demonstrates a potential pathway for translating serendipitous findings from basic research into clinical applications. Although whole-cell tumor vaccines have endured over half a century of unsuccessful trials, the introduction of novel technologies and deepening insights into tumor immunology have revitalized this longstanding concept. The upcoming Phase I clinical trial will yield critical data on safety and preliminary immune responses, providing a scientific basis for assessing the potential of this approach. Regardless of the outcome, this effort represents an important component of the diverse explorations within the field of cancer immunotherapy.