Individualized mRNA Vaccine against Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer has a poor prognosis, even when it is discovered early. In a company-sponsored study, a German company that pioneered use of mRNA vaccines reports on experience with 14 patients who received personalized mRNA vaccines directed against their breast cancers (see Figure 1). The team used DNA sequencing to identify tumor neoantigens in each patient’s cancer, and as many as 20 neoantigens were targeted by each individualized mRNA vaccine. The average time to produce each patient-specific vaccine was 69 days. Following surgery and neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy, each patient was given 8 doses of the personalized vaccine during 64 days.