Successful trial: a personalized cancer vaccine based on mRNA technology is tested in humans

The horizon of oncological medicine had a significant advance: the development of a personalized cancer vaccine based on mRNA technology. This innovative approach could revolutionize the way this disease is treated, offering hope to millions of people around the world.

Cancer vaccines represent the next frontier in immunotherapy, a medical strategy that has gained ground in recent decades. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent infections, these new vaccines are designed to treat patients who already have cancer. The key is to personalize the treatment for each individual, taking advantage of the genetic peculiarities of their tumor.

Cancer is a complex disease in which some cells in the body begin to multiply uncontrollably, forming abnormal masses of tissue known as tumors. These cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body in a process called metastasis. The curability of cancer depends on many factors, including the type of cancer and its stage of development.

Currently, the cancer cure rate is close to 55%, although this percentage varies significantly depending on the type of cancer and how quickly it is diagnosed. For example, breast, colon and prostate cancer have cure rates close to 90% when detected early. In contrast, cancers such as lung and pancreas have much lower cure rates, even in the initial stages.

The approach of cancer vaccines is based on teaching the patient’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. These vaccines are not generic; each one is made specifically for a particular patient. The process begins with surgically removing a sample of the tumor. The tumor’s DNA is then sequenced to identify specific mutations. With this information, a personalized vaccine is designed.

When injected, the vaccine sends instructions to the patient’s cells to produce an antigen or protein that distinguishes cancer cells from normal cells. This stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that can recognize and attack cancer cells. In case the cancer reappears, the immune system will already be prepared to fight it.

The crucial technological advance behind these vaccines is the use of messenger RNA (mRNA). Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are essential molecules for all cells and viruses. DNA encodes the information needed to make proteins, but it cannot leave the cell nucleus. This is where mRNA comes into play.

mRNA is synthesized through a process called transcription, in which DNA is used as a template to generate new mRNA molecules. These mRNA molecules carry the DNA instructions out of the nucleus, allowing ribosomes in the cytoplasm to use them to synthesize proteins. In the context of cancer vaccines, mRNA is “taught” to produce the proteins needed so the immune system can recognize and attack cancer cells.

This technology is not completely new; in fact, it was successfully used to develop the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19. Now, scientists are applying this same technology to create personalized cancer vaccines.

Currently, this research is in an early stage and vaccines are available only as part of clinical trials. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) was a pioneer in participating in this global project, launching a program that will allow thousands of patients in England to access these trials.

The first patient to begin the trial is a 55-year-old teacher, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer during a routine checkup. After surgery to remove the tumor and a course of chemotherapy, his tumor was analyzed to identify specific mutations. With this information, he created a personalized vaccine, which was then administered at University Hospitals Birmingham, one of several centers participating in the BioNTech colorectal cancer vaccine trial.

Although it is still too early to confirm a complete cure, doctors at the hospital said the results are “extremely encouraging.” Preliminary data on patient response to the vaccine suggests there could be great potential in this new form of treatment. However, more research and more patients participating in trials are needed to gain a full understanding of the effectiveness and safety of these vaccines.

The promise of personalized mRNA-based cancer vaccines is monumental, but the road to widespread implementation is still long. The customization of each vaccine means the process is complex and expensive. Additionally, more clinical trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness in different types of cancer and in a wide variety of patients.

However, the progress made so far offers tangible hope. The ability to teach the immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells represents a paradigm shift in oncology medicine. If these trials continue to show positive results, we could be on the verge of an era in which cancer becomes a much more manageable disease, with personalized treatments offering new hope to patients.