AN experimental vaccine could help beat cancer, say experts.
Covid jab maker Moderna has developed the treatment.
AlamyHealth Secretary Victoria Atkins said of the new cancer vaccine: ‘It has the potential to save lives’[/caption]
An 81-year-old man with incurable skin cancer became the first person dosed in October.
He said: “Taking part gives a sense of contributing to something which can help a lot of people.”
Injected genetic material called messenger RNA mimics markers found on cancer cells to train the body to fight them — just as with the pandemic shots.
Dr David Pinato and his team at Imperial College NHS Trust in London are testing to see if the vaccine is safe enough for a three-year global trial.
Dr Pinato hopes it will be able to treat skin and lung cancers first, then other solid tumours such as bowel or breast cancers.
He said: “Research is in the early stages . . . but it is moving us closer to therapies that are potentially less toxic and more precise.”
Moderna’s Dr Kyle Holen said: “We’re really excited about early results and hope this brings in a new age of cancer treatments.”
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS cancer director, said: “Cancer vaccines could be revolutionary.
“We expect to see thousands more patients taking part in trials of this kind over the next few years.”
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins added: “This vaccine has the potential to save lives while revolutionising the way we treat this terrible disease with therapies that are more effective and less toxic.”
The trial will run for three years and recruit patients across the world.