In the United Kingdom, a lung cancer patient has become the first to receive a revolutionary new vaccine developed by German biotechnology company BioEntech. A vaccine designed to prime the immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells represents a significant advance in the fight against non-small cell lung cancer.
The new immunotherapy uses messenger RNA (mRNA) to provide the immune system with common tumor markers found in this type of cancer. This allows the patient's body to develop a specific immune response against tumor cells without affecting healthy cells. This is an important difference with respect to traditional chemotherapy, which is often toxic to non-cancerous cells and has significant side effects.
Now the vaccine, known as BNT116, will enter a critical phase of clinical trials to assess its safety and efficacy. The study included approximately 130 participants with non-small cell lung cancer ranging from early stages (2 and 3) to advanced stages (4) and recurrent cancers. The trial will take place at 34 research sites in seven countries, including six in the UK.
“We believe this will provide an opportunity to further improve outcomes for our patients with NSCLC, whether early or advanced,” said Siow Ming Lee, UK study leader and professor of clinical oncology at University College London. The scientific community is now awaiting the results of this study, which could open up new possibilities in the treatment of lung cancer.
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