Researchers at Edith Cowan University have made a breakthrough in personalized cancer treatment with promising results from a trial combining an mRNA vaccine, tailored to individual tumor genetics, with conventional immunotherapy for high-risk melanoma patients. The trial, led by scientists from Edith Cowan University (ECU), showed a significant increase in cancer-free survival rates and decreased disease recurrence among patients.
The findings were recently unveiled by Clinical Professor Adnan Khattak from ECU’s Centre for Precision Health at the 2023 American Society of Oncology (ASCO) congress in Chicago. This congress, the largest cancer treatment conference worldwide, attracted over 45,000 participants.
The trial involved adding a personalized mRNA vaccine, designed to match an individual’s tumor genetics, to standard immunotherapy treatment. After 18 months, patients who received the vaccine alongside immunotherapy had a cancer-free survival rate of 78.6 percent, compared to 62.2 percent for those who only received immunotherapy. Additionally, after two years, the vaccine/immunotherapy combination group had a 22.4 percent rate of death or disease recurrence, in contrast to the immunotherapy-only group’s rate of 40 percent.
The trial also demonstrated a 44 percent lower risk of death or melanoma returning to the same area of the body, and a 65 percent reduction in the risk of death or the cancer returning in a different area of the body, after an average of two years. Notably, there were no significant increases in adverse side effects.
Professor Khattak explained that the trial aimed to address the shortcomings of current treatments. The standard immunotherapy treatment for melanoma, using an antibody called pembrolizumab, leads to relapse in about half of patients after five years. Furthermore, it is a generalized approach with the same drug administered to all patients. The personalized vaccine approach in the trial aimed to improve treatment efficacy by targeting specific tumor genetics.
The vaccine is created by analyzing tissue samples to identify neoantigens, which are proteins unique to an individual’s tumor. Up to 34 neoantigens are identified and added to an mRNA molecule to create a personalized vaccine. This vaccine stimulates an immune response in the patient’s body to fight cancer.
Professor Khattak noted that the vaccine appeared to be more effective after an extended period of time and required multiple doses. Late relapses were less common in patients who received the vaccine/immunotherapy combination, indicating a stronger anti-tumor immune response.
Based on the success of the trial, Professor Khattak will lead a new global trial of the treatment, which will include more participants with earlier stages of melanoma. The trial could potentially lead to a new approach to cancer treatment beyond just melanoma, with plans to expand into lung cancer, kidney cancers, and gastrointestinal cancers.
The research was funded by Moderna, Merck Sharp, and Dohme. For further details on the trial, interested individuals can contact One Clinical Research.
This breakthrough in personalized cancer treatment has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment and save countless lives. The positive results from this trial mark a significant stride toward individualized cancer care and signify the growing importance of research into personalized cancer vaccines.