Key points from article :
A new cancer vaccine is showing promise in one of the deadliest cancers, pancreatic cancer, which has very poor survival rates due to late diagnosis and frequent relapse. The vaccine, called ELI-002 2P, targets mutations in the KRAS gene—a key driver of tumour growth in both pancreatic and bowel cancers. Unlike other cancer vaccines that must be tailored to each patient, this jab comes in a single version suitable for all, meaning it can be mass-produced and delivered more quickly. The study, led by researchers and published in Nature Medicine, offers fresh hope for patients facing a disease with limited treatment options.
In the early-stage trial, 20 pancreatic cancer patients and five bowel cancer patients received the vaccine. After 20 months, 68% of participants had developed strong immune responses against the mutant KRAS proteins. Those who mounted the strongest immune defences lived longer and remained cancer-free for longer periods. Some patients survived up to two years and five months after vaccination, compared with the usual one-year survival seen in only 30% of pancreatic cancer cases.
The vaccine works by enhancing delivery to the lymph nodes, the body’s immune hubs, to help train the system to attack cancer cells. Results also showed that the jab could keep cancer from returning for more than 15 months, a significant improvement compared with current treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which often fail to prevent relapse.
Experts have hailed the results as “remarkable” but caution that larger trials are needed. While researchers are now expanding tests to more pancreatic and bowel cancer patients, questions remain about why some people respond better than others. If proven effective in wider studies, this vaccine could represent a major breakthrough, bringing hope to patients with one of the most difficult cancers to treat.
