Tailored Cancer Treatments Emerge Through Neoantigen Therapy Breakthroughs

Cancer research is shifting towards personalized approaches, recognizing that each person's cancer is unique. By understanding the genetic makeup of a tumor, scientists can identify distinct features and use them to guide future advances.

Merck and Moderna are collaborating on an individualized neoantigen therapy (INT) approach, which trains a patient's immune system to target specific cancer cells. This method uses mRNA technology to instruct the body's immune cells to recognize mutated genes in tumor tissue.

Researchers analyze blood and tumor samples to select the most promising neoantigens for each patient. An INT is then created with the aim of treating that individual's cancer specifically. Dr. Vassiliki Karantza notes, 'Because the genetic makeup of a patient's cancer is unique to that person, we believe 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.'