Scientists are hailing a new dawn in cancer treatment after a groundbreaking vaccine stopped the growth of tumours and the development of new ones in half of patients in the first-in-human study.
The jab, known as mRNA-4359 and developed by Moderna, uses similar technology to Covid-19 vaccines to teach the immune system how to recognise and destroy cancer cells.
The treatment was also well-tolerated, with no serious side effects reported.
Doctor Debashis Sarker, UK chief investigator and consultant at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, called the results “an important first step” towards developing a new treatment for advanced cancers.
The jab uses similar technology to Covid vaccines to teach the immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells
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The mRNA-4359 trial involved 19 patients with advanced solid tumours who received between one and nine doses of the vaccine. Eight out of 16 evaluated patients showed no tumour growth or new tumour formation.
Doctor Sarker emphasised the study’s small scale, stating: “It’s too early to say how effective this could be for people with advanced-stage cancer.”
The trial is now enrolling patients with specific cancers, including melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer, to receive low doses of mRNA-4359 alongside pembrolizumab (Keytruda).
Kyle Holen from Moderna expressed encouragement about the phase 1 results, noting the vaccine’s potential to “elicit strong antigen-specific T-cell responses while maintaining a manageable safety profile”.
An 81-year-old man with malignant melanoma became the first UK recipient of the jab at Hammersmith Hospital in late October.
How does it work?
The mRNA-4359 vaccine works by teaching the immune system to identify and attack cancer cells. Similar to Covid-19 vaccines, it uses mRNA technology to prime the body’s defences.
This approach aims to mobilise the immune system against specific characteristics of cancer cells that differ from healthy cells.
The vaccine’s potential extends beyond melanoma and lung cancer, targeting various solid tumour cancers.
Researchers hope this method could shift the tumour microenvironment towards a more immune-permissive state, enhancing the body’s ability to fight cancer.
While promising, experts caution that larger studies are needed to fully understand the vaccine’s effectiveness.
The mRNA-4359 vaccine works by teaching the immune system to identify and attack cancer cells
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