UK oncology patients trial mRNA technology in a bid to combat cancer

Preclinical cancer studies on cellular and animal models have provided evidence that this new mRNA therapy, also used in vaccines against COVID-19, affects the immune system and could be offered to patients in the early stages of clinical trials. An 81-year-old man was the first British patient to undergo experimental mRNA-4359 therapy.

The "Mobilize" clinical trial is a collaboration between Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The first patients are being treated at Hammersmith Hospital in West London. The trial is also a result of the UK government's partnership with pharmaceutical company Moderna, the creator of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Despite the early stage of the clinical trial, the overseeing doctors hope that the new therapy will act similar to a cancer vaccine. Its main objective is to stimulate the patient's own immune system to combat the cancer.

- New cancer immunotherapies, such as mRNA-4359, offer a fresh method of supporting the patient's immune system to fight cancer – said Dr David Pinato, a clinician at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, and a medical oncologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Although, he stressed that the trials are in their infancy and it could be many years before they are available to patients.

However, this study forms a crucial foundation, bringing us closer to new therapies which could potentially be less harmful and more precise. They are sorely needed – added Pinato, quoted on the Imperial College London website.

Pinato also extended his thanks to all the patients who volunteered to participate in the study.

The study is non-randomised, which means that all patients receive the same treatment. This is an open study where both doctors and patients are aware of the treatment being employed, unlike blinded studies where patients remain uninformed about the treatment they receive.

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be extremely distressing for individuals and their loved ones. But access to these pioneering studies - combined with other innovations enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment of cancers - are giving patients hope. We anticipate that thousands of additional patients will participate in these studies over the coming years - Pinato said.

As part of a ten-year partnership with the UK government, Moderna has plans for large-scale investments throughout the UK, including shifting mRNA vaccine production. It also plans to conduct a large volume of clinical trials, modelled after the one currently undertaken at Hammersmith Hospital.

This vaccine could potentially save many more human lives, revolutionising how we treat this dreadful disease, with therapies that are more effective and less harmful to the body. It underscores our status as a powerhouse in natural sciences and our commitment to research and development - highlighted Victorii Atkins, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.