Summary:
Forty percent of Australians will be diagnosed with cancer before their 85th birthday, and early detection is crucial for successful treatment. Traditionally, cancer treatment involves surgery, followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. However, recent advances in medical science have led to the development of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines as a potential tool in combatting cancer.
mRNA vaccines take information from DNA and use it to create specific proteins, including those involved in immune mechanisms. Cancer cells have different DNA than normal cells, and mRNA vaccines are designed to train the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. These vaccines can be personalized for individual patients by identifying mutations in the cancer cells’ DNA that drive the disease. Targeting multiple antigens through the mRNA vaccine decreases the chances of cancer cells developing resistance.
One advantage of mRNA vaccines is their ease of manufacturing compared to traditional vaccines. They do not require living cells, making production more efficient. However, it typically takes around two months to produce an mRNA vaccine. While personalized vaccines are currently expensive due to the need for individual manufacturing, costs are expected to decrease as technologies evolve.
Clinical trials of cancer mRNA vaccines are already underway in Perth, Australia, although they are not yet registered for general use. These vaccines must first prove their safety and efficacy through large-scale human clinical trials. However, regulatory bodies have already approved mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which have fewer regulatory hurdles.
Though mRNA cancer vaccines are not a universal solution for all types of cancer, they offer a promising approach to treating the disease more effectively, even at later stages. Further research and development are needed to fully unlock the potential of mRNA vaccines in cancer treatment.
Definitions:
– mRNA: Messenger ribonucleic acid, which carries information from DNA and directs the synthesis of specific proteins.
– Antigen: A substance that triggers an immune response in the body.
– Clinical Trials: Research studies that evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new medical treatments in humans.
Sources:
– UWA School of Molecular Sciences’ associate professor, Dr. Archa Fox.
