British scientists have begun the final stage of testing a personalized vaccine against melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer.
The composition of the vaccine is adjusted according to the characteristics of each patient’s tumor, that is, the drug mRNA-4157 (V940) is an individual therapy, reports The Guardian.
To personalize the vaccine, scientists analyze genes from a patient's tumor sample using artificial intelligence. The result is a special injectable drug that matches the characteristics of the patient’s malignant neoplasm. In the future, it is used in combination with other means. University College London researcher Dr Heather Shaw explains:
“It's completely patient-specific – we can't give this vaccine to the next patient in line because it won't work.”
Thanks to the vaccine, the immune system will be able to fight a specific type of cancer by destroying the remains of cancer cells. The ultimate goal is to completely cure a cancer patient, writes Air Force.
The plan is to enroll at least 60 patients in the UK in this phase of the trial. They plan to test the effectiveness of the vaccine on patients in other countries, in particular, in Australia. Researchers are already testing the drug's effectiveness against other types of cancer – lung, bladder and kidney tumors. In January 2024, as previously reported, an artificial intelligence-based device that diagnoses skin cancer was approved in the United States.
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