Breakthrough – Indian-Origin Doctor Develops mRNA Vaccine for Pancreatic Cancer
Dr. Vinod Balachandran and his team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have pioneered a groundbreaking mRNA vaccine to fight pancreatic cancer, offering new hope for patients.
In a clinical trial, 8 out of 16 patients who received the personalized mRNA vaccine experienced delayed cancer recurrence, marking a major advancement.
Power of Neoantigens
The vaccine uses unique tumor proteins, called neoantigens, to train the immune system to specifically target and attack pancreatic cancer cells.
Dr. Balachandran’s research began seven years ago, after discovering that immune T cells in pancreatic cancer patients could be key to longer survival.
Partnering with BioNTech
After publishing his research in 2017, Dr. Balachandran partnered with BioNTech CEO Uğur Şahin to explore mRNA vaccines for cancer treatment.
How the Vaccine Works
After tumor removal, the vaccine is created based on genetic sequencing to identify mutations. It trains T cells to attack cancer cells by recognizing neoantigens.
Developing personalized vaccines posed logistical challenges, but despite the pandemic, the team fast-tracked the trial, completing it in 18 months instead of 2.5 years.
Expanding Clinical Trials
With support from Genentech, BioNTech, and Stand Up 2 Cancer, further trials will expand the patient pool to refine vaccine efficacy.
This breakthrough demonstrates the potential of mRNA technology to revolutionize cancer treatment, offering hope for patients battling pancreatic cancer.