Melanoma affects more than 132,000 people annually worldwide, reports the British publication “Guardian”. This is an extremely aggressive form of cancer. This malignant tumor affects not only the superficial layers of the skin. It can easily penetrate the underlying tissues and pass into other organs, Bulgarian doctors warn.
More: Moderna announces promising preliminary results from melanoma RNA vaccine trials
Melanoma malignancies originate from cells called melanocytes, which are normally present in the skin (also in the eyes and in the lining of the brain) of all people. Melanocytes produce and are filled with the pigment that gives the skin its color. The transformation of these normal cells in the skin into tumor cells is a genetic process that is started and maintained by the body’s exposure to ultraviolet light, explain dermatologists quoted by bTV.
More: Is there a family history of skin cancer?
Moles (nevi) are benign skin formations composed mainly of melanocytes. Malignant melanoma can occur both on an underlying nevus that has undergone transformation, and on an area of the skin where a mole has never been, experts in this field also explain.
What is the situation in Bulgaria?
Melanoma of the skin afflicts about 630 Bulgarians annually. The disease most often affects people around the age of 70, but it can already be encountered in adolescence and childhood, explains Dr. Gergana Shalamanova, head of the department of medical oncology and dermatology at the Complex Oncology Center in Plovdiv. The problem, according to her, is that it is diagnosed late and more than 25% of those affected die.
More: Contaminated drugs and skin cancer: New Bulgarian data from Prof. Georgi Chernev
Prone to the disease are not only people with fair skin and hair, but also those with more than 50 moles on the body. A risk factor is the frequent visit to a solarium and the use of ultraviolet lamps.
What is expected in the future?
Currently, surgery is the main treatment, although adjunctive treatments are sometimes used, such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immuno-oncology therapy, and the prescription of certain medications. Experts are now testing new injections that are tailored to each patient and ‘command’ their body to hunt down cancer cells to prevent the disease from returning.
A phase 2 study found that the vaccines dramatically reduced the risk of the cancer returning in already diagnosed melanoma patients. Now the final phase 3 trial of the new treatment has started. The trial is being led by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).
More: Controlled induced cancer: Prof. Georgi Chernev explains how this scourge can be reduced
Dr Heather Shaw, who is the national co-ordinating investigator for the trial, told British media that these injections have the potential to treat people with melanoma, but are also being tested in other types of cancer, including malignant tumors in the lung, bladder and kidney . “It’s one of the most exciting things we’ve seen in a really long time. It’s a really subtle tool to fight cancer,” Dr. Shaw asserts.
What is the vaccine?
The vaccine is an individualized neoantigen therapy. It is designed to trigger the patient’s immune system so that his own body can fight the cancer.
The vaccine is known as mRNA-4157 (V940). It targets tumor neoantigens that appear in each specific patient. These are markers on the tumor that can potentially be recognized by the immune system. The injection carries encoded 34 neoantigens and, once administered, activates an anti-tumor immune response based on the unique mutations in the particular patient’s cancer.
More: How to tell a melanoma from a simple mole
To personalize this vaccine, DNA is extracted from the tumor removed during the patient’s surgery. Artificial intelligence is also used throughout this process to craft a custom injection that is specific to a given patient’s tumor.
The global phase 3 trial of the vaccine will enroll about 1,100 people. One of the first patients involved in testing the new vaccine was 52-year-old Steve Young from Stevenage in Hertfordshire. “I’m really excited. This is my best chance to beat cancer,” he told the Guardian.
