Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – January 27, 2021 – Health
A new experimental melanoma vaccine can effectively fight it. Tests have shown that protection lasts for at least 4 years after vaccination.
So scientists from Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute tested the vaccine on 8 patients with melanoma.
The researchers took samples of melanoma, which were removed from patients during the operation. Based on them, a personalized vaccine was created for each study participant.
By studying the RNA of the cells taken, the researchers predicted which unique proteins (neoantigens) could be incorporated into different cancer cells.
The fact is that neoantigens act on the immune system, quite provocatively. Because the final vaccine contained segments of these neoantigens, the T cells of the patients were able to quickly track down the cancer cells.
The vaccine protected 6 of the 8 participants.
So according to the results of the study, we can draw the following conclusions:
8 participants received the vaccine within 4 months after surgery. After that, a team of scientists monitored their health for several years.
Side effects were, but quite minor: weakness and mild malaise.
By the end of the four-year period, all patients had survived. Only 2 of them had signs of active disease.
The researchers warned that it was difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the vaccine’s effectiveness based on such a small study. But the developers of the drug believe that it really strengthens the immune system.
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