An experimental vaccine developed with mRNA technology has demonstrated the ability to prevent the return of melanoma in patients classified as high risk for recurrence, as announced by American pharmaceutical companies Moderna and MSD.
According to the companies, when administered in combination with another medication, this vaccine can help oncology patients extend their lives by preventing both the return and the spread of the tumor.
The findings were recorded during a Phase 3 clinical trial, which represents the final and most comprehensive stage of pharmaceutical testing, involving a total of 1,137 participants. It was observed that individuals subjected to the new methodology showed a reduction in the probability of skin cancer returning.
Although a press release was issued about the results, there is not yet a detailed scientific publication with all the study data.
The concept of developing cancer vaccines, using the patient's own immune system to fight neoplasms, is an old idea in the medical field, but it had never been effectively realized. The advancement of mRNA-based vaccines, which obtained pioneering approval during the Covid-19 pandemic to combat the new virus, has raised new expectations for this type of therapy.
For the first time, a vaccine appears to have succeeded in this mission, which could signal a transformative advance in the field of oncology.
How does an anti-cancer vaccine work
The name of the vaccine can be confusing because it is not intended to prevent cancer in healthy individuals; its purpose is to act as treatment for those who already have the disease, and it can also block recurrence, meaning the resurgence of the tumor.
The vaccine produced by Moderna and MSD, named intismeran or mRNA-4157, is created in an extremely individualized manner. Scientists collect a sample of the patient's tumor, perform genetic analysis, and identify specific segments of the tumor, notably mutated proteins absent in normal cells. These parts are known as 'neo-antigens.'
Next, messenger RNA molecules are generated and injected into the patient, instructing their body to produce these specific fragments. The person's immune system begins to identify the neo-antigens as invading agents and initiates an attack against them, including the tumor. Theoretically, this fights the disease and prevents its return or progression.
This type of treatment has been investigated for several years, but there were uncertainties about its practical viability. The recently disclosed results are considered the most promising.
What the study says
The clinical trial involved more than a thousand patients diagnosed with melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer with a high probability of recurrence. The volunteers were first subjected to surgery to remove the tumor and subsequently received the drug treatment. The objective was to verify whether the vaccine would help reduce the chances of the cancer returning or spreading.
During the study, patients were divided into two groups. One group was treated with the drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an immunotherapy already approved for treating this type of cancer. The second group received Keytruda in combination with the experimental vaccine.
The pharmaceutical companies reported that the group receiving both treatments showed lower recurrence rates, although they did not provide specific numerical data. This indication suggests that the treatment is indeed working.
The companies plan to present the numbers at a future medical conference. Even after this presentation, the vaccine will still need to undergo analysis and obtain approval from the FDA, the United States regulatory agency.
In addition to being a potential new treatment for melanoma, the vaccine could boost the search for innovative strategies for other types of tumors, paving the way for a revolution in oncology. There are prototypes of mRNA vaccines targeting other cancers, such as kidney, pancreas, and lung cancer, but current studies are limited and small-scale.
The most advanced research is focused on skin cancer, and the success of this treatment in the tests was crucial to confirm whether this personalized mRNA-based technology could actually be effective. By indications, the answer is affirmative.