Scientists at the University of Florida in the USA have developed a new vaccine based on mRNA technology that shows promise in treating glioblastoma, a type of malignant brain tumor. The vaccine has entered the first phase of clinical trials with 4 patients, all of whom showed a strong immune response to the injection. This immune response stimulated the immune system to attack and destroy the tumor, leading to longer survival times for the patients.
Glioblastoma is a challenging disease to treat due to its rapid growth and invasion of surrounding brain tissues. Tumor cells are diverse, heterogeneous, and can change over time, making treatment difficult. Some treatments are less effective because of the brain’s protective barrier. Therefore, there is a need for new and more effective treatments for this disease.
Dr. Elias Sayour, a researcher involved in the vaccine development, noted that within 48 hours of vaccination, tumors went from displaying little immune response to very active immune response. This change is significant as it helps unlock the immune system’s effect on cancer cells.
The next phase of the clinical trial will involve testing the vaccine on 24 patients with individualized doses. Each patient’s vaccine will be prepared from their own cancer cells and optimized to their specific condition. Dr. Sayour believes that this vaccine has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment when combined with other immunotherapies.
The research team spent approximately 7 years developing and testing the vaccine in the laboratory and on animals before moving to clinical trials. Their research results were published in the journal Cell on May 1st, adding to an ongoing global effort towards finding new treatments for cancer through vaccines such as mRNA-4157 for certain stages of cancer, BNT122 for pancreatic cancer and TG4050 for ovarian cancer.
The development of this new vaccine marks an exciting breakthrough in cancer research and opens up new possibilities for treating one of
