Personalized mRNA vaccine stops skin cancer returning in major trial
A personalized vaccine has stopped skin cancer from returning in patients, in what experts are calling a major turning point for cancer treatment.
The experimental jab was given to people with high-risk melanoma after surgery, in combination with an immunotherapy drug already used in cancer treatment.
Developed by Merck & Co. and Moderna, the vaccine was tested in a phase three trial involving 1,000 participants. On Wednesday, the firms announced preliminary results showing the jab extended the time patients remained cancer-free, though they did not reveal by how long.
The approach is seen by many as the holy grail of cancer care. Scientists sequenced the DNA of each patient’s tumor and then used mRNA technology — the same platform used for COVID-19 vaccines — to create a bespoke vaccine targeting the cancer cells.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel described the findings as “a pivotal moment” for cancer research.While full results have yet to be released or peer-reviewed, experts have cautiously welcomed the news.
Dr. Lennard Lee, associate professor at the University of Oxford, said the findings were a “landmark moment for cancer vaccines.”Prof. Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, told the BBC: “It feels like it’s a very important advance.”
