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Vaccine being extracted from vial with a syringe

Vaccine for treating cancer made possible using Oxford COVID vaccine technology

Research from Jenner Institute and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research has shown the technology behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has potential in treating cancer. When tested in mice, the cancer vaccine increased levels of anti-tumour T cells infiltrating tumours and improved efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Compared to immunotherapy alone, the combination with the vaccine showed a greater reduction in tumour size and improved survival of the mice.

Royal Society Africa Prize winner 2021

The Royal Society Africa Prize 2021 is awarded to Professor George Warimwe, Jenner Investigator, for his work on zoonoses vaccine development, capacity building in Africa, and his innovative research proposal. Professor Warimwe will be awarded a medal and a grant of £15,000 towards his research project at a symposium to be held at a future date.

Vaccine for TB receives a $1.5 million funding boost

The Oxford-run VALIDATE Network, co-directed by Jenner Investigator Prof Helen McShane, has received $1.5 million in funding for its tuberculosis vaccine work from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. An effective vaccine for TB is one of the primary goals of the VALIDATE Network which aims to accelerate vaccine development for complex intracellular pathogens that are often neglected.

Vaccine vials being filled at a biomanufacturing facility

Making a billion doses of vaccine in 18 months: starting with two tablespoons

As the University was planning the first clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine, some began to wonder how to supply the vaccine to the world - if it worked. Although Oxford had the capacity to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, and clinical trials might take only a few months, manufacturing ‘at pandemic scale’ would take much longer. A group of University scientists had, however, worked on the problem for some time.

African trial of novel HIV vaccine candidate starts

Professor Tomas Hanke, Professor of Vaccine Immunology at the Jenner Institute, and lead researcher on the trial, said: ‘This highly rational, bioinformatics-assisted, vaccine design addresses the enormous variability of HIV-1 - one of the greatest challenges to the development of an effective vaccine against HIV/AIDS.’

Oxford vaccine reaches one billion doses released

The University of Oxford’s and our partners AstraZeneca have today announced that one billion doses of the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 coronavirus vaccine have been released, to more than 170 countries, marking a key milestone as part of the University and AstraZeneca’s joint vision to make the available to the world, on a not-for-profit basis for the world during the pandemic, and in perpetuity for low- and middle-income countries.

T-cell ‘training grounds’ behind robust immune system response seen in adenovirus vaccines

Adenovirus vaccine vectors, such as the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 construct which has risen to prominence as a major vaccine for COVID-19, may generate robust long-term immune system responses, according to scientists from the Universities of Oxford and the Cantonal Hospital St.Gallen, Switzerland.

UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINE Trial

For all information and enquiries regarding the COVID-19 vaccine trial, please visit: https://covid19vaccinetrial.web.ox.ac.uk/.

SUPPORT OXFORD’S COVID-19 VACCINE RESEARCH

Funding for Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine research requires unprecedented speed, scope and ambition. Support from Government, corporations, trusts and foundations will be crucial to the development of a vaccine to combat the new virus. Alongside those traditional sources of funding, philanthropic donations of any size will have real and rapid impact, allowing us to accelerate this time-critical research, and ensure that Oxford’s vaccine solution will be as effective and swift as possible.

If you are interested in supporting this effort, please make a gift here.

Seminars

Broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV and novel vaccine approaches to induce them

Monday, 25 October 2021, 2pm to 3pm
Vaccine Adjuvants for Global Health

Tuesday, 23 November 2021, 1pm to 2pm
The Human Immunomics Initiative: Decoding the human immune system to accelerate development of vaccines and immunotherapies for major infectious diseases and cancers

Monday, 06 December 2021, 3pm to 4pm

Latest publications

Incidence of acute rheumatic fever in northern and western Uganda: a prospective, population-based study
Journal article

Okello E. et al, (2021), The Lancet Global Health, 9, e1423 - e1430
Critical needs in advancing Shigella vaccines for global health
Journal article

MacLennan CA. et al, (2021), The Journal of Infectious Diseases

COVID OUTBREAK

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jenner Institute is taking measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Departments are instructed by the University’s Registrar to continue to work from home where possible, and manage the return to on site working, based on the University guidelines for risk assessments and work prioritisation. This is to restrict contact between individuals as far as possible. The University remains open and operating as far as possible with the following restrictions:

- No public access to the University.

- On-site activity permitted where it cannot be undertaken remotely, driven by safety, capacity and other factors such as schools reopening/other changes in government guidelines.

- Teaching and assessment are undertaken remotely where possible and, depending on government guidelines, gatherings of staff and students only permitted where essential for teaching and assessment to take place.

Public Engagement

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COVID-19 Response

- Protect our community

- Protect the vulnerable

- Protect yourself

To find out more about the University's COVID-19 response and measures of protection: