A University of Houston biology student played a pivotal role in a groundbreaking
discovery by researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center: the COVID vaccine can enhance
the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments, offering new hope to cancer patients
worldwide.
In a new study presented Oct. 19 at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress, researchers revealed
patients who received mRNA-based COVID vaccines within 100 days of starting immunotherapy
were twice as likely to be alive three years after treatment as those who didn’t receive
the vaccine.
“This study demonstrates that commercially available mRNA COVID vaccines can train
patients’ immune systems to eliminate cancer,” said Adam Grippin, M.D., Ph.D., senior
resident in radiation oncology at MD Anderson and co-author of the study. “When combined
with immune checkpoint inhibitors, these vaccines produce powerful antitumor immune
responses that are associated with massive improvements in survival for patients with
cancer.”
Transformational Discovery
UH biology student Cole Woody
Cole Woody, a junior biology major from Sugar Land whose research at the UH Sequencing
Core focuses on the development of potential cancer vaccines through chimeric RNAs
– and, more specifically, how cancers can be more aggressively targeted by a vaccine
– was already working in the lab at MD Anderson when Grippin asked him to join his
team.
Woody was tasked with helping to validate the team’s hypothesis by demonstrating that
there was a significant increase in cancer-targeting T cells — the immune cells responsible
for recognizing and destroying tumors — following vaccination. To confirm the findings,
he designed and used custom antibodies to detect cancer-specific T cells, a critical
step in demonstrating how the vaccine strengthens the body’s immune response to treatment.
“We saw a very noticeable increase in antigen-specific T cell populations in the vaccinated
group,” Woody said. “It was the kind of result you hope for in research — clear, measurable
evidence that could one day help improve patient outcomes.”
The discovery could be a game-changer as it points to the possibility that widely
available, low-cost vaccines have the potential to dramatically improve the effectiveness
of certain immune therapies.
While this study focused on two types of cancer, Woody says the positive impact could
be much wider.
“We’re trying to understand which cancer types are seeing the biggest benefit — is
it just non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma, or can this apply to other cancers
with similar immune evasion mechanisms? If we can extend this to a broader patient
population, that would be phenomenal.”
—UH biology major Cole Woody
Rising Research Powerhouse
Being a part of this transformational research is yet another milestone in what has
already been a remarkable year for Woody, who earned both the Barry Goldwater Scholarship
and the Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service — two of the nation’s most prestigious
academic honors.
“Cole Woody is yet another example of the exceptional students at the University of
Houston,” said Diane Chase, UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.
“His passion for research, science and community service have earned him prestigious
accolades. Now, he is contributing his talents to groundbreaking discoveries alongside
MD Anderson researchers. We’re proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his
further successes as a student, scholar and scientist.”
It also furthers UH’s emergence as a global leader in health and biomedical research,
where students are provided with unmatched opportunities to engage in cutting-edge
science — opportunities that Woody says are key to his success.
“The University of Houston is unique in the way it’s positioned within Houston — you’re
so close to the world’s largest medical center and having that proximity to interact
with the labs there is a huge resource for students,” Woody said. “But UH also gives
you a strong foundation in research. I wouldn’t have been able to succeed at MD Anderson
or places like NIH or Harvard without the training I received here.”
UH biology student Cole Woody examines a sample at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Woody played a key role in the discovery of the COVID vaccine’s ability to boost immune
system response to certain types of cancer.