Scientists recently discovered an effective way to prevent liver cancer in mice. The researchers tweaked a protein that is expressed by the majority of liver cells, enabling them to make an effective vaccine.

Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) is traditionally expressed during development and by liver cancer cells. Dr. Yukai He, immunologist at the Medical College of Georgia and Georgia Regents University Cancer Center, explained that AFP escaped attack in prior vaccine iterations since the body recognizes it as “self.”

According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, liver cancer is the sixth most commonly occurring cancer in the world, with 782,000 new cases in 2012.

Vaccines offer protection against cancer by directing the immune system to attack invaders by showing it an antigen, or a representative substance, that the body will recognize as foreign. In this case, it is AFP for liver cancer.

He said that recurring tumor cells is an unfortunate and realistic scenario for patients with liver cancer, with a 70 percent recurrence rate in five years. He noted that patients often undergo surgery to remove the diseased part of the liver, but that there are presently no effective adjuvant therapies, including chemotherapy, to reduce recurrence.

He hopes that a version of his vaccine will ultimately provide the essential missing piece and greatly improve patient survival.