Pharmaceutical giants Merck and Moderna are advancing a personalized cancer vaccine that has stirred optimism about the potential of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to open new treatment paths, even though clinical evidence so far remains limited.
Preliminary results from a large-scale clinical trial found that the experimental vaccine, when paired with Keytruda—Merck’s widely used immunotherapy drug—helped lower the risk of melanoma returning or spreading in patients who had already undergone surgery to remove their tumors.
The vaccine, known scientifically as intismeran autogene, is tailored to the unique genetic mutations found in each patient’s tumor. After surgeons remove a cancerous tumor or lesion, researchers analyze its genetic sequence to identify mutations specific to that patient’s cancer. Using this data, scientists then design a custom vaccine capable of targeting as many as 34 distinct cancer-related mutations unique to that individual.
In the trial, patients received the personalized vaccine alongside up to nine doses of Keytruda, an approach researchers hope could eventually complement or enhance existing cancer therapies by training the immune system to recognize and attack a patient’s specific tumor profile.
Read the original story for further details on the trial results and ongoing research.
Source: <![CDATA[Cómo funciona la vacuna personalizada contra el cáncer de Merck y Moderna]]> (RSS::excelsior.com.mx – Portada). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Daniel Paquet, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).