Skip over navigation
The Hospital
Research
Support Us
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Home
Français
Directions & Maps
Contact Us
About Us
Vision and Strategic Directions
Board Chair and CEO Message
Leadership Team
Annual Reports
Facilities
Research Data Management
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Wellness
Our Research
Priorities, Programs and Diseases
Researcher Profiles
National Research Networks
Scientific Publications
Research Awards
Technology Transfer
Industry Sponsored Research
Responsible Innovation
For Students & Fellows
News & Events
Newsroom
Seminars & Events
Career Opportunities
For Patients
News & Events
Home
>
News & Events
>
Newsroom
Bookmark or Share
Display Options
Display Options
+
Increase
/
-
Decrease
font size
High contrast version
Printer-friendly version
Newsroom
Seminars & Events
Newsroom
New research led by Dr. Rebecca Auer suggests flu vaccine could help prevent the spread of cancer after surgery
August 8, 2013
New research led by
Dr. Rebecca Auer
suggests that the common flu vaccine may be able to help prevent the spread of cancer following surgery. Previous research by Dr. Auer and others has shown that surgery to remove cancer can actually increase the spread of that cancer to distant sites, both through effects on the immune system and on blood clotting. Using a mouse model, Dr. Auer and her team showed that an influenza vaccine, administered intravenously just prior to cancer surgery, could stimulate certain cancer-fighting immune cells (called natural killer cells), and reduce subsequent spread of the cancer by 50-80%. They also demonstrated stimulation of these natural killer cells in human volunteers receiving a flu vaccine as part of the TOH vaccination campaign, suggesting that this strategy could also work in patients. The results are published in
Clinical Cancer Research
.
Funders:
Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé, Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Media contact
Jennifer Ganton
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-798-5555 ext. 73325
jganton@ohri.ca