A team at Memorial Sloan Kettering is developing an mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer, which has proven to be difficult to treat due to its high mortality rate and limited treatment options.
According to Dr. Vinod Balachandran, the lead researcher on the project, the traditional assumption that pancreatic cancer cannot be treated with immunotherapy has been turned upside down. His team has made significant progress in teaching the immune system to recognize pancreatic cancer cells using mRNA vaccines.
The vaccine targets specific “flags” or proteins found on the surface of cancer cells, which are unique to each individual patient. The goal is to create a customized vaccine that can stimulate the production of T cells, specialized immune cells that can recognize and attack cancer cells.
In a recent phase I clinical trial, 16 patients with pancreatic cancer received custom-made mRNA vaccines, which showed promising results in terms of safety and efficacy. Notably, only two out of eight patients who received the vaccines experienced a recurrence of their cancer, compared to seven out of eight patients who did not receive the treatment.
While this is an encouraging start, Dr. Balachandran emphasizes that further testing and larger clinical trials are needed to confirm the vaccine’s effectiveness. He also notes that cost will be a significant factor in widespread adoption of personalized vaccines, but hopes that if effective, they can lead to reduced costs.
The development of mRNA vaccines for pancreatic cancer represents a promising area of research with potential to transform treatment options for this devastating disease. As Dr. Balachandran noted, “this is an exciting global vaccine moment” with many more advances expected in the coming years.
Source: https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/pancreatic-cancer-mrna-vaccine-aug-2025