Merck and Moderna Collaborate on Personalized Cancer Treatment
Cancer research is shifting towards personalized approaches due to the realization that each person's cancer is unique. Scientists are recognizing that traditional one-size-fits-all treatment methods may not be effective for every patient.
Merck and Moderna are collaborating to explore an innovative approach using individualized neoantigen therapy (INT). This method trains a patient's immune system to recognize and target their specific cancer cells.
The unique 'fingerprint' of each tumor, made up of mutated genes resulting in abnormal proteins called neoantigens, is used to create an INT. By leveraging mRNA technology, researchers can help the patient's immune cells identify these cancer 'fingerprints' as foreign and launch an immune response against them.
The goal of this approach is to provide more personalized care in cancer treatment, where therapies are designed based on each patient's specific biology. Dr. Vassiliki Karantza, Associate Vice President, Global Clinical Development, Merck Research Laboratories, notes that 'there is a need for innovative therapies that can be tailored to a patient's tumor with the potential to enhance immune surveillance for each person's specific cancer.'