German scientists investigating the use of mRNA-based cancer therapies say that preliminary data is cause for optimism that the novel approach may be helpful in treating challenging solid tumor cancers like malignant mesothelioma. The technology is the same that was used in the development of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Future Mesothelioma Treatment May use Same Technology As COVID-19 Vaccine
According to researchers at German biotech BioNTech, a clinical trial evaluating their new mRNA-based cancer therapy produced positive initial results in patients with solid tumors like malignant mesothelioma. The mRNA vaccine trains the immune system to recognize and respond to specific proteins on cancer cell surfaces.
Though a similar approach – chimeric antigen receptor T cells, also known as CAR-T cell therapy – has proven effective in the treatment of blood-based cancers but has not been shown to work in the more challenging solid tumors like mesothelioma. That is being called the CARVac vaccine boosts the impact of CAR-T, allowing the specialized cells that are applied to gain entry into the tumors and kill the malignant cells.
Potential Mesothelioma Treatment Still in Early Testing Stage
The investigation by BioNTech scientists is in its earliest stages, and is being tested on patients suffering from a variety of challenging cancers, though Dr. John Haanen of the Netherlands Cancer Institute did not specifically reference malignant mesothelioma patients when he presented the initial results at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. Malignant mesothelioma is notably difficult to treat, and most patients die within two years of diagnosis.
Of the sixteen patients that were originally signed up for the test, 14 ended up participating in the efficacy evaluation, and six showed a partial response. For patients with terminal diseases like malignant mesothelioma, this level of response is considered promising, and in some cases is considered “remarkable. Dr. Haanen urged caution, noting the research is in its earliest stages, and safety and side effects will need to be evaluated and larger studies of individual cancer types will be required, But Dr. Özlem Türeci, co-founder and chief medical officer at BioNTech, said that the mRNA approach is a good strategy for fighting “hard-to-treat solid tumors with an otherwise poor prognosis.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, this type of research is very encouraging. For information on other promising resources, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
