23.07.2026

How the immune system learns to fight cancer

Every day, our immune system fights off pathogens without us even noticing. But when it comes to cancer, this natural defense reaches its limits, because tumor cells come from our own body and often aren't recognized as a threat. This is exactly where a research focus that Swiss Medical Network is pursuing in Genolier comes in: personalized therapeutic cancer vaccines.

A vaccine that treats instead of prevents

The word «vaccine» is easy to misunderstand. Most people associate vaccination with preventing infectious diseases. A therapeutic cancer vaccine serves a different purpose. It's given to people who already have cancer, and it aims to teach the immune system to recognize tumor cells. The body's own defenses become the actual active ingredient.

A vaccine tailored to each person

What makes this approach unique is its individualization. Every tumor carries its own molecular characteristics. These characteristics make it possible to determine what the immune system needs to be trained on. The result is a custom vaccine for each patient, precisely matched to their tumor. Think of it as a composite sketch that tells the immune system what to look for.

Why this research matters

Cancer remains one of medicine's biggest challenges. In Switzerland, around 48,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year, nearly 130 per day. Close to 17,000 people die from it each year. At the same time, the number of people living with or after cancer keeps growing and now stands at around 450,000. For them, more targeted therapies can make a real difference.

The path from idea to treatment

There's a long road between a promising idea in the lab and an available therapy. Personalized vaccines must be manufactured through a demanding process and require specialized infrastructure and experienced staff. Funding matters just as much, since development takes time and resources. At Swiss Medical Network's Clinical Trial Research Unit in Genolier, these threads come together. Under the leadership of Prof. Lana E. Kandalaft, a specialist in immunology and oncology, the team is preparing to move into clinical trials in Switzerland.

Clinical research will show whether personalized vaccines one day become a standard part of cancer treatment. What's certain is that the direction is right: moving away from one-size-fits-all treatment toward medicine that's oriented around each individual. With its research in Genolier, Swiss Medical Network is helping pave that path.