A new vaccine for the prevention of pancreatic cancer has shown promise in an early study at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. The vaccine, called mKRAS-VAX, was tested in 20 people with an inherited risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer.
Vaccine Details
The vaccine targeted six common mutations of KRAS, changes in this gene drive more than 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. The vaccine triggered a mutant KRAS-targeted immune response in 18 of the 20 participants. Researchers also found the vaccine generated two types of T cells — one to attack abnormal cells and another to provide longer-term immune memory.
The vaccine appeared to be safe, with participants experiencing only injection-site reactions and temporary flu-like symptoms. After about 16.5 months of follow-up, no participants had developed pancreatic cancer. At the same time, 37.5% of vaccinated participants experienced shrinkage or disappearance of the pancreatic cysts that had put them at increased risk for the disease.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
