A pioneering cancer vaccine, developed through a collaboration between the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical giant Moderna, is set to undergo trials this summer.
The jab targets patients at high risk of colorectal (bowel) and ovarian cancer.
The forthcoming study will investigate the vaccine’s ability to train the immune system to identify and eliminate pre-cancerous cells in people with Lynch syndrome, aiming to prevent cancer from developing.
The initiative marks Moderna’s first venture into cancer prevention using its advanced mRNA technology.
Oxford experts believe the approach could be adapted for other cancer types in the future.
Lynch syndrome affects approximately one in 300 people in England, equating to around 175,000 individuals, yet only 5 per cent are aware they carry the condition.
It significantly elevates the risk of developing bowel, womb, and ovarian cancers, as well as stomach, pancreatic, kidney, and skin cancers.
Around 1,100 bowel cancers are caused by Lynch syndrome each year in England and it is thought the syndrome increases the lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer by around 80 per cent.
The new Intercept-Lynch trial is part of a scientific collaboration between the University of Oxford and Moderna, while Cancer Research UK has backed the vaccine development.
Once patients receive the new mRNA-4194 jab, experts will then analyse their immune responses, what the perfect dose is and will check the jab is safe.
The second phase of the study will include multiple centres across the UK, including Oxford, and is expected to begin in 2027.
Professor David Church, Cancer Research UK senior cancer research fellow in the University of Oxford’s centre for human genetics and the lead investigator of the trial, said that people with Lynch syndrome inherit a faulty copy of a gene essential for repairing DNA.
He said the aim of the new trial is to “train the immune system with a vaccine” to recognise abnormalities and stop them developing into cancer.
In people with Lynch syndrome, mutations can build up, making the cells containing them more likely to transform into cancerous cells.
However, the mutations can be made visible to the immune system and, with enough stimulation, the immune system can attack the abnormal cells and stop cancer from forming.
Prof Church said the mRNA jab therefore acts as “an instruction manual” for the body to attack the pre-cancerous cells.
He added that, as with many vaccines, there may be a need for patients to have a booster jab at some stage.
Nevertheless, the vaccine could be “transformative” in preventing cancer in people with Lynch syndrome and can also be given to Lynch patients who have already suffered one type of cancer.
“People with Lynch syndrome are at risk of cancers over their entire lives,” he said.
“So, it’s very common, for instance, a woman to have a first cancer of her womb, and then some years later have a bowel cancer, or vice versa.
“The targets we’ve chosen for the vaccine were chosen based on their sharedness across multiple cancer types in Lynch syndrome, so we think they should provide broad protection, if the vaccine works.”
Regarding vaccinating against other cancers not caused by Lynch syndrome, Prof Church said “in terms of proof of principle that we can train the immune system to recognise these cancer-associated alterations and enhance the immune response against them to prevent these pre-cancers or prevent the progression of pre-cancer to cancer, that proof of principle should give us insights that are generalisable”.
David Berman, chief development officer at Moderna, said: “By applying mRNA technology earlier in the patient journey, we aim to harness the immune system when it can have the greatest impact.
“We are proud to bring this innovation to the UK, building on our long-standing collaboration with leading UK institutions to advance mRNA research and development.”