The world’s first personalized mRNA vaccine, developed against melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, has started to be tested in hundreds of people. Researchers aim to permanently cure cancer with the vaccine.
having a type of skin cancer melanomaIt is one of the deadliest diseases. So much so that, on average, around 60 thousand people die annually worldwide, and hundreds of thousands of people are infected with the disease. This being the case, research for the treatment of skin cancer is of great importance.
The new mRNA vaccine developed by Moderna and MSD companies, which had the potential to change everything about melanoma, was one of them. Now there has been an important development in this regard. mRNA-4157 named, World’s first “personalized” mRNA vaccine against melanoma The vaccine, known as Vaccine, started to be tested in the United Kingdom.
It is developed specifically for each patient and prevents the disease from returning.
*The patient named Steve Young, who was one of the first people to try the vaccine. Young underwent surgery in August last year due to a melanoma growth on his head.
Currently, surgical treatment is largely used for the treatment of skin cancer. Radiotherapy, medications and chemotherapy are also sometimes used treatments. The newly developed vaccine is developed specifically for each patient and prevent the disease from returning aims.
Phase 2 studies revealed that the vaccine significantly reduced the return of cancer in melanoma patients. The results, published in December, showed that people with high-risk melanoma who received the vaccine had a much lower risk of dying or having their cancer come back three years later than others. Now is the last step phase 3 trials in hundreds of patients in the UK started.
What is meant by “personalized vaccine”?
The vaccine is a neoantigen therapy. It is designed to trigger the immune system to fight against the patient’s specific type of cancer and tumor. So your body hunt cancer cells to prevent the disease from coming back provides. It’s the same technology used in the COVID vaccine. Targeting tumor neoantigens, mRNA-4157 carries coding for up to 34 neoantigens and activates an anti-tumor immune response based on the patient’s cancer.
Let’s also talk about personalization. Researchers to make the vaccine patient-specific A sample of the tumor during their surgery they take it. Then DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence are used. The result is a vaccine produced specifically for the patient’s tumor. It is stated that it will be different for each patient and that the vaccine given to one patient will not work for another.
One of the names behind the research is Dr. Heather Shaw underlined that their ultimate goal is to cure cancer permanently. The 3rd phase will be applied to a higher number of people than the previous phases. Goals 1.Trying on around 100 people. We hope to see it succeed.
Can also be applied to other types of cancer
Shaw said that there is a possibility that this vaccine can be used not only for skin cancer but also for other cancers. According to the statement, researchers; It also performs tests for lung, kidney and bladder cancer.
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