Updated · American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) · Jul 16
mKRAS-VAX Triggers T-Cell Responses in 90% of 20 High-Risk Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Updated
Updated · American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) · Jul 16
mKRAS-VAX Triggers T-Cell Responses in 90% of 20 High-Risk Pancreatic Cancer Patients
3 articles · Updated · American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) · Jul 16
Summary
A first-in-human study published in Cancer Discovery found mKRAS-VAX was safe and well tolerated in 20 people with inherited or family pancreatic cancer risk and small precancerous pancreatic lesions.
The off-the-shelf vaccine induced mutant KRAS-specific T-cell responses in 18 participants—90% of the cohort—and those responses lasted up to two years.
At a median 16.5-month follow-up, none of the participants had developed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, while 37.5% saw cyst reduction or resolution versus 6.8% in a similar unvaccinated group.
Researchers targeted six common KRAS driver mutations, which are present in up to 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, to try to intercept cancer before it emerges.
The results add to early momentum for pancreatic cancer vaccines, though investigators say larger phase II studies will be needed to test whether the immune signals translate into clear clinical benefit.
A pancreatic cancer vaccine works in a small trial. How long until this hope becomes a reality for high-risk patients?
This vaccine targets a key cancer-causing gene. Could this be the blueprint for preventing other deadly cancers?
mKRAS-VAX Vaccine Demonstrates Encouraging Phase 1 Results for Pancreatic Cancer Prevention in High-Risk Individuals
Overview
The mKRAS-VAX vaccine is showing great promise as a new way to prevent pancreatic cancer, especially for people at high risk. In a Phase 1 clinical trial, researchers used imaging to track changes in pancreatic cysts after vaccination. They found that five participants had complete disappearance of small cysts, three had partial regression, and the rest remained stable. These encouraging results suggest that mKRAS-VAX could help stop pre-cancerous changes before they develop into cancer, marking a major step forward in early intervention and prevention strategies for this aggressive disease.