Translation of genomics-guided RNA-based personalised cancer vaccines: towards the bedside

Br J Cancer. 2014 Oct 14;111(8):1469-75. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2013.820.

Abstract

Cancer is a disease caused by DNA mutations. Cancer therapies targeting defined functional mutations have shown clinical benefit. However, as 95% of the mutations in a tumour are unique to that single patient and only a small number of mutations are shared between patients, the addressed medical need is modest. A rapidly determined patient-specific tumour mutation pattern combined with a flexible mutation-targeting drug platform could generate a mutation-targeting individualised therapy, which would benefit each single patient. Next-generation sequencing enables the rapid identification of somatic mutations in individual tumours (the mutanome). Immunoinformatics enables predictions of mutation immunogenicity. Mutation-targeting RNA-based vaccines can be rapidly and affordably synthesised as custom GMP drug products. Integration of these cutting-edge technologies into a clinically applicable process holds the promise of a disruptive innovation benefiting cancer patients. Here, we describe our translation of the individualised RNA-based cancer vaccine concept into clinic trials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cancer Vaccines / genetics*
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Humans
  • Mutation
  • Precision Medicine*
  • RNA, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Translational Research, Biomedical*

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • RNA, Neoplasm