"A New, Personalized Vaccine Is Targeting The Deadliest Cancers In America" - Natalie Daher
New vaccines, targeting the most deadly forms of cancer in the United States, are undergoing trials across the country and being heralded as promising breakthroughs in the growing field of immunotherapy — immune-based treatments that many in the medical research community believe is one of the most promising ways to treat, cure and prevent cancer. A new clinical trial is underway, by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, to test a vaccine to combat recurrence in some of the most deadly forms of cancer, including lung, breast, gynecological and bladder cancers. And the team at Mount Sinai believes that the personalization is the key. Led by Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, hematology and medical oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Personalized Genomic Vaccine trial uses the genetic sequence of a patient's tumor to create a customized vaccine. The vaccine in turn will attack targets that arise from genetic mutations in the patient's tumor. The injectable, highly customized drugs are not yet mass-produced or approved by federal health agencies, but the Mount Sinai researchers are hopeful.
- Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, Professor, Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai