RNA vaccines to prevent cancer in people with Lynch syndrome and early lung lesions

CAP-IT Center for LNP RNA Immunoprevention

NIH-funded research Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11166674

This center is creating RNA-based vaccines meant to help people with Lynch syndrome and those who have early lung precursor nodules avoid developing cancer.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionWeill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11166674 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From a patient's perspective, this center is designing nucleic-acid (RNA) vaccines that target shared tumor markers found in people with Lynch syndrome and abnormal cells in early lung nodules. Researchers will use genomic analyses, spatial tissue mapping, and immunopeptidomics to find the best targets and then formulate those targets into lipid-nanoparticle RNA vaccines. The vaccines will be optimized and tested in the lab and preclinical models to select the safest, most promising candidates. The goal is to prepare vaccine candidates for early human prevention trials and eventual clinical use.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with a confirmed diagnosis of Lynch syndrome or individuals identified with non-solid lung nodules thought to be pre-malignant.

Not a fit: People without a genetic cancer predisposition or without lung precursor lesions are unlikely to gain direct benefit from these specific vaccines.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, these vaccines could reduce or prevent cancer development in high-risk people with Lynch syndrome or pre-malignant lung nodules.

How similar studies have performed: mRNA and nucleic-acid vaccine approaches have shown promise in infectious disease and some cancer immunotherapy settings, but preventive RNA vaccines for hereditary cancers and lung precursor lesions are largely novel and untested in humans.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Cancer BurdenCancers
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.