Revolutionary cancer vaccine targeting advanced tumors shows promise in early trials

A vaccine aimed at training the body to recognize and fight off cancer cells has shown early promise in triggering an advanced immune response against the disease, according to initial trial findings .

Researchers involved with the study hailed this breakthrough as "an important first step" towards potentially creating a new treatment option for those dealing with advanced cancers .

The vaccination under scrutiny, dubbed mRNA-4359, is being developed by Moderna for individuals with advanced melanoma, lung cancer, and various other solid tumor cancers.

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This cutting-edge method utilises mRNA technology, similar to that found in Covid-19 vaccines, which teaches the immune system to distinguish between cancerous and normal cells, thereby arming it to destroy them.

In its first trial on humans, 19 participants with advanced solid tumours were administered between one and nine doses of mRNA-4359. Interestingly, in eight out of the 16 patients evaluated, the tumours did not grow, nor were new tumours observed, marking a considerable leap forward.

Additionally, the team pointed out the favourable safety record of the treatment and noted that it was "well tolerated without serious side effects".

The findings will be unveiled at the European Society of Medical Oncology conference in Barcelona by the UK's lead investigator Dr. Debashis Sarker, who is also a Clinical Reader in Experimental Oncology at King's College London and a Consultant in Medical Oncology at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Dr. Sarker remarked: "This study evaluating an mRNA cancer immunotherapy is an important first step in hopefully developing a new treatment for patients with advanced cancers.", reports Devon Live .

"We have shown that the therapy is well tolerated without serious side effects and can stimulate the body's immune system in a way that could help to treat cancer more effectively. However, as this study has only involved a small number of patients to date, it's too early to say how effective this could be for people with advanced stage cancer."

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An 81-year-old gent became the first person in the UK to get the cutting-edge mRNA-4359 jab at Hammersmith Hospital in late October. The patient, who wished to stay anonymous, is fighting malignant melanoma skin cancer that hasn't responded to other treatments.

The ongoing research is on the lookout for patients with certain types of cancer, particularly melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer, to test low doses of mRNA-4359 in combination with pembrolizumab, also known as Keytruda. Dr Sarkar emphasised the study as "a huge international effort across the UK, USA, Spain and Australia".

Kyle Holen, senior vice president and head of development therapeutics and oncology at Moderna, shared an optimistic outlook. He stated: "We are encouraged by the phase 1 results of mRNA-4359, which demonstrate its potential to elicit strong antigen-specific T-cell responses while maintaining a manageable safety profile."

Regarding the potential impact of the treatment, he further noted: "This novel approach could be a key component in shifting the tumour microenvironment toward a more immune-permissive state, offering potential hope for patients with advanced solid tumours."

The mRNA-4359 study is just one of several investigations into the power of vaccines in fighting cancer.

This includes the ongoing phase 3 trial of a tailored mRNA jab, mRNA-4157 (V940), which was given to a British patient earlier in the year. Using a combination of a tumour sample, DNA sequencing, and artificial intelligence, scientists are creating a vaccine uniquely designed for each patient's tumour.

Elsewhere, a lung cancer patient in the UK took a significant step forward in treatment by being the first to receive an innovative vaccine in August. The BNT116 vaccine, developed by BioNTech, is undergoing trials at 34 research centres across seven countries, with six sites located within England and Wales.

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