A trial for the world's first "personalized" mRNA vaccine against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has launched in the United Kingdom.
It is designed to help the immune system recognize and wipe out any remaining cancerous cells following a melanoma growth procedure.
Steve Young, a 52-year-old from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, who underwent surgery to remove a melanoma growth from his scalp last August, is among the first patients to receive the shot, which was inspired by the COVID vaccines.
The vaccine, mRNA-4157 (V940), uses the same technology as current COVID vaccines and is being tested in final-stage Phase III trials, which could mean Young's cancer will not return.
Young told BBC Radio, "[The trial] gave me a chance to feel like I was actually doing something to fight a potential unseen enemy."
The vaccine is personalized, meaning its makeup is altered to match each individual patient.
It's designed to match the unique genetic signature of the patient's tumor, prompting the body to produce proteins or antibodies that target markers or antigens found solely on those cancer cells.
University College London Hospitals (UCLH) doctors are giving it alongside another drug, pembrolizumab or Keytruda, that also helps the immune system kill cancer cells, according to the BBC.
UCLH investigator Dr. Heather Shaw said the jab had the potential to cure people with melanoma and was being tested on other cancers, including lung, bladder, and kidney tumors.
"This is one of the most exciting things we've seen in a really long time," she said.
The trial aims to enroll a minimum of 60-70 patients distributed across eight centers, including locations in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Leeds.
