How mRNA cancer vaccines still destroy tumors when a key immune cell is missing

Pancreatic cancer mRNA vaccine shows lasting results in an early trial

Nearly all of the patients who responded to the a personalized mRNA pancreatic vaccine are still alive six years later.

How mRNA cancer vaccines still destroy tumors when a key immune cell is missing

The advent of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the Nobel Prize–winning technology is being adapted to fight cancer, with mRNA vaccines in clinical trials for melanoma, small-cell lung cancer and bladder cancer, among others, opening the door to new ways of preventing and treating the disease.

What did pancreatic cancer vaccine trial show?

What happened An early clinical trial reported promising, lasting results for an mRNA vaccine approach in pancreatic cancer. The story centers on a patient’s experience—after a long and difficult trip, she developed visible signs of illness consistent with pancreatic cancer complications,…