UK Man Receives Personalised Melanoma Vaccine in Groundbreaking Trial
A British man named Steve Young, 52, from Stevenage, Herts, is participating in a trial for the world's first personalized mRNA vaccine against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Young underwent surgery to remove a melanoma growth from his scalp last August.
The vaccine, mRNA-4157 (V940), uses the same technology as current Covid vaccines and is being tested in final-stage Phase III trials.
Doctors at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) are administering the vaccine along with another drug, pembrolizumab or Keytruda, to help Young's immune system identify and eliminate any remaining cancerous cells, reducing the likelihood of the cancer returning.
A personalized cancer vaccine developed by Moderna and Merck Sharp and Dohme is being tested outside of clinical trials in some countries, including Australia.
The vaccine is customized to match the unique genetic signature of a patient's tumor and instructs the body to produce proteins or antibodies that attack markers or antigens found only on those cancer cells.
The vaccine, which has the potential to cure melanoma and is being tested in other types of cancer, is not yet available routinely on the NHS.
Dr. Heather Shaw from UCLH calls it a "custom-built" jab.
A medical professional expressed great excitement about a custom-built medical solution, stating that it was uniquely designed for a specific patient and couldn't be given to another patient due to its personalized and highly technical nature.
The vaccine, mRNA-4157 (V940), uses the same technology as current Covid vaccines and is being tested in final-stage Phase III trials.
Doctors at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) are administering the vaccine along with another drug, pembrolizumab or Keytruda, to help Young's immune system identify and eliminate any remaining cancerous cells, reducing the likelihood of the cancer returning.
A personalized cancer vaccine developed by Moderna and Merck Sharp and Dohme is being tested outside of clinical trials in some countries, including Australia.
The vaccine is customized to match the unique genetic signature of a patient's tumor and instructs the body to produce proteins or antibodies that attack markers or antigens found only on those cancer cells.
The vaccine, which has the potential to cure melanoma and is being tested in other types of cancer, is not yet available routinely on the NHS.
Dr. Heather Shaw from UCLH calls it a "custom-built" jab.
A medical professional expressed great excitement about a custom-built medical solution, stating that it was uniquely designed for a specific patient and couldn't be given to another patient due to its personalized and highly technical nature.