MD Anderson researchers presented retrospective clinical analyses and mouse data showing that patients who received COVID‑19 mRNA vaccination before starting checkpoint inhibitor therapy lived longer than unvaccinated counterparts. The group reported the clinical association at the European Society for Medical Oncology congress and published supporting preclinical work in Nature Biomedical Engineering that demonstrates generalized mRNA vaccines can boost checkpoint efficacy in mice. Investigators cautioned that the human analysis is retrospective and subject to confounding, and they are planning prospective randomized trials to test causality. If confirmed, the findings could influence timing of vaccinations relative to immunotherapy and renew interest in leveraging non‑tumor‑targeted mRNA platforms as adjuncts to cancer immunotherapy.