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A groundbreaking study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center suggests that a personalized mRNA vaccine, when combined with standard treatment, may offer new hope for pancreatic cancer patients. While the study was small, involving only 16 participants, the results indicate a potential breakthrough in harnessing the immune system to combat this deadly disease.
A Personalized Approach to Treatment
The study included patients such as Barbara Brigham, a 74-year-old semi-retired librarian from Long Island. Brigham, diagnosed with early-stage pancreatic cancer after a routine scan, opted to participate in the trial, which incorporated surgery, chemotherapy, and a customized mRNA vaccine derived from her tumor.
Unlike preventive vaccines, this personalized mRNA vaccine aims to trigger the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells by targeting genetic mutations unique to each patient’s tumor. The process involved extracting the tumor during surgery and sending it to BioNTech, a German biotechnology company, for vaccine development. Patients then received the vaccine along with immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
Encouraging Results and Key Findings
Of the 16 patients in the trial, eight exhibited a strong immune response, and six of those eight remained cancer-free more than three years later. In contrast, seven of the eight patients who did not respond saw their cancer return. Researchers observed a potential link between the spleen’s presence and immune response, as the spleen plays a critical role in immune function.
Dr. Vinod Balachandran, a surgical oncologist specializing in pancreatic cancer, emphasized that while the results are promising, it is too soon to attribute causality solely to the vaccine. “The immune system is hardwired not to recognize our own body, so teaching it to recognize cancer is challenging,” he noted.
Dr. Suneel Kamath, a gastrointestinal oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, reviewed the findings and pointed out that the survival rate observed in the trial aligns with that of early-stage pancreatic cancer patients who undergo surgery and chemotherapy. However, he acknowledged the study’s significance, stating, “This was a proof-of-concept study showing that we can create a vaccine that elicits a lasting immune response.”
Next Steps and Broader Implications
A larger, randomized trial is now underway to further investigate the vaccine’s effectiveness, particularly in early-stage pancreatic cancer patients with intact spleens. The rapid development of mRNA vaccines, demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, offers optimism for future applications in oncology.
Researchers are also exploring mRNA vaccines for melanoma, kidney cancer, and lung cancer, which may be more responsive due to their higher mutation rates.
For Brigham, participating in the trial has been life-changing. “The trial was such a wondrous thing. It has given me a renewed sense of life,” she said, expressing gratitude for the additional time it granted her to celebrate family milestones.
Disclaimer: The findings of this study are preliminary and based on a small sample size. While the results are encouraging, further research is needed to validate the vaccine’s effectiveness and its role in pancreatic cancer treatment. Patients should consult their healthcare providers before considering experimental treatments.
Source: Zachary Sethna et al, RNA neoantigen vaccines prime long-lived CD8+ T cells in pancreatic cancer, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08508-4
