BY VEENA RAO
New York City, NY, March 16, 2025: In a big breakthrough for cancer treatment, Dr. Vinod Balachandran, a surgeon-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), is pioneering research that is transforming the outlook for pancreatic cancer patients. His work centers on a personalized mRNA vaccine that has shown remarkable promise in improving survival outcomes for individuals battling this aggressive disease.
Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat, with limited effective therapies available. However, Dr. Balachandran’s research has uncovered a promising strategy that harnesses the body’s immune system to fight the disease.
Approximately seven years ago, Dr. Balachandran’s team discovered that certain pancreatic cancer patients who survived significantly longer post-surgery had tumors enriched with T cells—immune cells capable of recognizing cancer cells. These T cells targeted neoantigens, unique proteins formed by tumor-specific mutations. His team realized that these T cells acted similarly to those seen in traditional vaccines, providing long-term immune memory that could protect against cancer recurrence.
Building on this discovery, Dr. Balachandran collaborated with biopharmaceutical companies BioNTech and Genentech to develop a personalized mRNA vaccine called autogene cevumeran. This innovative vaccine trains the immune system to recognize and attack pancreatic cancer cells by targeting patient-specific neoantigens.
In a groundbreaking phase I clinical trial involving 16 pancreatic cancer patients, the vaccine produced promising results. In eight of those patients, the vaccine successfully activated T cells that targeted their own cancer cells. These individuals experienced delayed cancer recurrence, showcasing the potential of the mRNA vaccine to offer long-term protection.
Recent data has further demonstrated the vaccine’s effectiveness. In some patients, the vaccine-induced T cell response persisted for nearly four years, significantly reducing their risk of cancer returning. The promising outcomes highlight the vaccine’s ability to generate durable immune responses, a breakthrough in pancreatic cancer treatment.
In 2023, Dr. Balachandran was awarded the prestigious Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Trailblazer Prize for his contributions to pancreatic cancer research. The Marcus Foundation has also awarded funding to support his ongoing efforts in developing next-generation precision RNA vaccines for this challenging disease.
This groundbreaking research offers fresh hope to patients and families affected by pancreatic cancer, a condition that has long presented limited treatment options.
