New mRNA vaccine could add 10 years to pancreatic cancer patients’ lives – Interesting Engineering

Pancreatic cancer is known for its grim prognosis, with less than 13% of patients surviving beyond five years.a day agoa day agoa day ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago3 days agoan hour ago16 hours ago16 hours ago17 hours ago17 hours ago19 hours ago20 hours ago20 hours agoa day agoa day agoKapil KajalRepresentational image of pancreatic cancer.koto_feja/iStockIn a significant development for pancreatic cancer treatment, a phase 1 clinical trial has highlighted the potential of personalized mRNA vaccines to treat the deadly disease.This research comes at a critical time, as pancreatic cancer is known for its grim prognosis, with less than 13% of patients surviving beyond five years.The disease is often diagnosed at advanced stages due to a lack of early symptoms and routine screening.Pancreatic cancer is particularly challenging because around 90% of cases are found when they are already advanced.The nature of this cancer often allows it to spread to other parts of the body before it can be effectively treated.Traditional methods like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are limited in their ability to cure the disease, which has led researchers to seek innovative therapies.Dr. Vinod Balachandran, who leads the Olayan Center for Cancer Vaccines at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, expressed the urgent need for new options.“Despite advancements in treatments for other cancers, pancreatic cancer remains largely resistant, with a survival rate that has stagnated around 10% even following the best available therapies,” he noted.Before the COVID-19 pandemic popularized mRNA technology, researchers already explored its potential for cancer treatment.This innovative approach educates the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. The technology is also being tested for other types of cancer, such as melanoma and colorectal cancer.For an mRNA vaccine to be effective, it must generate a strong response from T cells, a type of immune cell that combats infections and diseases. These T cells must remain active over time to fight cancer cells.While training T cells to attack viruses is comparatively straightforward, teaching them to target cells the body has created is considerably more complex.The challenge is particularly pronounced in pancreatic cancer. For a vaccine to successfully prompt the immune system to identify tumor cells, there must be unique targets present on those cells.Cancer cells develop from mutations, and these mutations can serve as targets. However, pancreatic tumors generally have fewer mutations available, leading to skepticism about the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines for this cancer type.The recent trial aimed to test this assumption by exploring the efficacy of personalized mRNA vaccines in a group with operable pancreatic cancer.This was a follow-up study to an initial trial conducted earlier in 2023.Phase 1 trials are designed to assess safety and initial effectiveness, and this new study included 16 patients whose tumors could be surgically removed—a rare situation, as only about 20% of pancreatic cancers are operable.In addition to surgical treatment, these participants were given personalized mRNA vaccines tailored to their tumor profiles.The researchers monitored the patients for up to four years after tumor removal, assessing the vaccine’s ability to stimulate an immune response.Results showed that half of the participants—eight out of 16—responded positively to the vaccine, producing T cells capable of targeting their tumors.The other half did not show any measurable response. Among those who responded, the vaccine appeared to significantly prolong the lifespan of the T cells, with estimates suggesting they could last nearly eight years in the body and around 20% of these cells may persist and function for decades.These findings indicate that the mRNA vaccine may not only activate an immune response but could potentially enhance the longevity of T cells, crucial for long-term protection against cancer recurrence.While this study marks a promising step forward in the fight against pancreatic cancer, it remains one of the first stages of research.Further trials will be necessary to evaluate mRNA vaccines’ effectiveness and broader applicability in treating this challenging cancer.Kapil Kajal Kapil Kajal is an award-winning journalist with a diverse portfolio spanning defense, politics, technology, crime, environment, human rights, and foreign policy. His work has been featured in publications such as Janes, National Geographic, Al Jazeera, Rest of World, Mongabay, and Nikkei. Kapil holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Electronics, and Communication Engineering and a master’s diploma in journalism from the Institute of Journalism and New Media in Bangalore.Stay up-to-date on engineering, tech, space, and science news with The Blueprint.By clicking sign up, you confirm that you accept this site’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy2 days ago2 days ago2 days ago2 days agoPremiumIE PROFollow

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/health/vaccine-shows-promise-against-pancreatic-cancer