Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent diseases, personalized cancer vaccines are created for individuals who have already been diagnosed with cancer.
As cancer continues to vary significantly in both characteristics and progression from one person to another, researchers are focusing on treatment methods tailored to each individual. A notable advancement is the emergence of personalized cancer vaccines, designed specifically for the unique pathology of each patient.
What is a Personalized Cancer Vaccine?
Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent infections, personalized cancer vaccines, also known as neoantigen vaccines, are used in individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer vaccines work by targeting proteins on tumors called neoantigens. (Illustration: Nature).
The vaccine functions by targeting proteins on tumors known as neoantigens. These proteins only appear in cancer cells as a result of gene mutations and are unique to a specific patient.
According to Very Well Health, scientists rely on gene sequencing to examine the cellular components of humans, such as DNA and RNA, which undergo changes when someone develops cancer. This analysis allows researchers to use a portion of the tumor or blood sample to
