Science Friday mRNA Vaccine For Pancreatic Cancer Continues To Show Promise
Aug 22, 2025
Dr. Vinod Balachandran, an expert in cancer vaccines at Memorial Sloan Kettering, shares exciting insights about a new mRNA vaccine targeting pancreatic cancer. Despite substantial funding cuts, early trials show promise, with half of participants generating strong immune responses. He delves into the challenges of this notoriously tough cancer and the innovative approaches tailored to individual tumors. Balachandran also discusses the emotional journeys of patients involved in trials and the potential for personalized vaccines to transform cancer treatment.
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Immune Recognition Is Possible
- Pancreatic cancer has resisted many new oncology drugs and is now the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
- The immune system can be taught to recognize pancreatic cancer by targeting mutated proteins as foreign flags.
Mutations Create Targetable Flags
- Mutations in cancer cells create new proteins that can serve as red flags to the immune system.
- Vaccination can teach T cells to recognize those mutated proteins and target cancer cells.
Cancer Vaccines Must Be Personalized
- Unlike one-size-fits-all infectious disease vaccines, cancer mRNA vaccines must be individualized per patient.
- Personalized RNA enables rapid, bespoke vaccine production tailored to each tumor's flags.