This is about Janus Ras MRN416.
The experimental vaccine using mRNA technology, designed to fight COVID, is entering the “battle” to stop lung cancer.
Janus Ras is the first patient to receive it at the university hospital in London.
The 67-year-old was diagnosed with lung cancer during a routine examination last May and has already undergone chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
“I feel very good, I didn’t feel any pain,” said patient Janus Ras.
The 67-year-old had planned to undergo tests in September to check if his cancer was growing or spreading when a team of scientists proposed that he participate in a trial that gives hope to millions of people.
Janus Ras said “yes” without a second thought.
Moreover, he is also a scientist in artificial intelligence and a seasoned marathon runner, having run in the Athens marathon in 2016.
“I believe it will help me and will help other people if the vaccine is produced faster,” Ras continued.
In combination with the targeted therapies of the last five years, scientists hope for another significant victory in the fight against lung cancer.
The goal of the vaccine is to destroy only cancer cells.
Athanasios Dimopoulos: “Each vaccine is prepared for a specific patient based on the characteristics of their tumor”
Professor Athanasios Dimopoulos explains to MEGA how this vaccine will be created in the future using tissue from the patient’s own tumor and will be different for everyone.
However, it seems that it will still take time before it goes into production.
“Each vaccine is prepared for a specific patient based on the characteristics of their tumor in order to prevent disease recurrence. If the patients who enter this study are patients for whom we want to prevent recurrence or reduce the chances of recurrence, this requires a long period of time to achieve some results and certainly in the future randomized studies will also be needed,” emphasized Mr. Athanasios Dimopoulos, Professor of Therapeutic Oncology – Hematology.
Approximately 34 research centers in seven countries will test the vaccine on 130 patients.
Janus Ras, however, is optimistic and is preparing to participate in upcoming marathons.