World’s First Personalised mRNA Vaccine Trial Underway in the UK
By [Insert Name]
Digital health editor
[Insert Date]
Updated [Insert Time] ago
An Important Trial of Personalised mRNA Vaccine Against Melanoma Begins in the UK
An essential trial of the world’s first “personalised” mRNA vaccine for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has commenced in the United Kingdom. This revolutionary vaccine is designed to bolster the immune system of patients like Steve Young, 52, from Stevenage, Herts, who had a melanoma growth removed from his scalp in August last year.
By enhancing the immune system’s ability to recognize and eliminate cancerous cells, researchers hope that this new vaccine, mRNA-4157 (V940), will contribute to preventing the recurrence of melanoma in patients like Young. Similar to the technology used in current COVID-19 vaccines, this mRNA vaccine is undergoing phase III trials to evaluate its effectiveness.
Doctors from University College London Hospitals (UCLH) are administering the vaccine in combination with pembrolizumab, commercially known as Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug that assists in stimulating the immune system to fight against cancer cells.
Genetic Signature
This combined treatment, produced by Moderna and Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), is presently only available through clinical trials and not yet routinely accessible through the National Health Service (NHS). Several other countries, including Australia, are also exploring its potential benefits and determining whether it should be widely available.
What distinguishes this vaccine is its personalized nature. Tailored to match the genetic signature of individual patients’ tumors, it triggers the production of proteins and antibodies that specifically target the cancer cells, leveraging the patient’s own body to eliminate the disease.
Custom Built
According to Dr. Heather Shaw, an investigator at UCLH, this vaccine has the potential not only to cure melanoma but is also being researched for its efficacy against other cancers, such as lung, bladder, and kidney tumors. Dr. Shaw describes the personalized vaccine as one of the most groundbreaking discoveries of recent times, highlighting its highly specific nature and patient-centric design.
Steve Young, reflecting on his participation in the trial, expresses his enthusiasm, stating that it provided him with a chance to actively fight against the unseen enemy of cancer. Having undergone scans that showed no signs of cancer, he still wishes to actively combat the possibility of undetected cancer cells by participating in this groundbreaking trial.
Melanoma Symptoms to Look For
Young, a musician, had a lump on his scalp for several years, remaining unaware it was cancerous. Recalling his diagnosis as a “massive shock,” he admits to living in fear of the disease and fearing that he might not outlive his father, who passed away from emphysema at 57 years old.
Melanoma symptoms to be vigilant about include the appearance of abnormal moles, changes in the size or characteristics of existing moles, and alterations in patches of normal skin. Detecting melanoma at an earlier stage increases the likelihood of successful treatment.
Phase II trial data, published in December, revealed promising results demonstrating that patients with high-risk melanomas who received the mRNA vaccine alongside the immunotherapy Keytruda showed a 49% lower risk of cancer recurrence or death after three years, compared to those who only received the drug.
Dr. Shaw emphasized the potential of this therapy to be a “gamechanger,” citing its relatively manageable side-effects, which primarily include tiredness and a sore arm. According to her, these side-effects were comparable to receiving a flu or COVID-19 vaccine, favorably positioning the mRNA vaccine as a tolerable treatment option.
