NEW YORK: A new mRNA cancer vaccine can reprogram the immune system to attack tumors within 48 hours, a groundbreaking study found. The first-ever human clinical trial of four adult patients demonstrated the jab helps fight against aggressive and deadly brain tumors.
The vaccine, which leverages mRNA technology similar to some Covid vaccines, has demonstrated the ability to reprogram the immune system to target tumors within a mere 48 hours, according to a recent study.
Led by Dr. Elias Sayour of the University of Florida, the trial involved four adult patients and marked a significant milestone in cancer treatment research. By harnessing the power of mRNA technology, the vaccine is personalized to each patient using their own DNA, offering a promising new approach in the fight against cancer.
Dr. Sayour expressed optimism about the vaccine’s potential, stating, “I am hopeful that this could be a new paradigm for how we treat patients, a new platform technology for how we can modulate the immune system.” He further highlighted the possibility of combining the mRNA vaccine with other immunotherapies to enhance treatment outcomes.
mRNA vaccines, which gained prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic with vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna’s, are now being repurposed to target other diseases. By providing genetic instructions for the immune system to produce attack cells, these vaccines hold immense potential in combating various forms of cancer.
Previous research in mice had indicated the efficacy of mRNA vaccines against cervical cancer caused by the HPV virus. Building upon this foundation, the latest study published in Cell focused on glioblastomas, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer, in a human clinical trial setting.
The study, which spanned seven years of research, including preclinical mouse models and a clinical trial involving ten pet dogs with terminal brain cancer, yielded promising results. While it is still early to assess the full clinical effects of the vaccine, preliminary findings suggest that patients either lived disease-free longer than expected or survived longer than anticipated.
