First-ever human clinical trial shows jab helps fight deadly brain tumours
Scientists say the jabs 'could be a new paradigm for cancer cure
(Web Desk) - A new mRNA cancer vaccine can reprogram the immune system to attack tumours within 48 hours, a study shows.
The first-ever human clinical trial of four adult patients showed the jab helps fight against aggressive and deadly brain tumours.
It uses similar tech to some Covid vaccines to train the immune system and is also personalised to patients using their own DNA.
Dr Elias Sayour, of the University of Florida, said: “I am hopeful that this could be a new paradigm for how we treat patients, a new platform technology for how we can modulate the immune system.
“I am hopeful for how this could now synergize with other immunotherapies and perhaps unlock those immunotherapies.
“We showed that you actually can have synergy with other types of immunotherapies, so maybe now we can have a combination approach of immunotherapy.”
mRNA vaccines — like Pfizer and Moderna’s Covid jabs — became widespread during the pandemic and researchers are now redeploying the tech to work on other diseases.
They work by providing a genetic code for the body’s immune system to read and ramp up production of attack cells.
Previous research in mice has shown the jabs are effective in tackling cervical cancer caused by the HPV virus.
The latest study, published in Cell, looked at how mRNA vaccines work against glioblastomas in a human clinical trial.
The study showed results from seven years of research on mRNA brain cancer jabs, including preclinical mouse models.
It also included a clinical trial of 10 pet dogs that had spontaneously developed terminal brain cancer and had no other treatment options.
Results from both showed the jab had promise in treating the disease, prompting further research in humans.
While too early in the trial to assess the clinical effects of the vaccine, the patients either lived disease-free longer than expected or survived longer than expected.
