NEW mRNA CANCER VACCINE?

Mario Nawfal
@MarioNawfal
🚨NEW mRNA CANCER VACCINE?

The world’s first mRNA lung cancer vaccine, called BNT116, is currently being tested in a clinical trial across seven countries.

This vaccine is designed to target non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer.

Here’s how it works: BNT116 uses messenger RNA (mRNA), which is similar to the technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.

mRNA instructs cells in the body to make proteins that can trigger the immune system to fight off certain diseases.

For the lung cancer vaccine, the mRNA in BNT116 tells the body’s cells to create proteins that mimic cancer cells.

This helps the immune system learn to recognize and attack actual cancer cells without affecting healthy cells.

The vaccine is being tested on about 130 patients, including those with both early and advanced stages of lung cancer.

It’s given alongside standard immunotherapy treatments.

The aim is not just to treat existing cancer but to prevent it from coming back.

Sources: The Guardian, BioNTech, UCLH.