$25 Million Grant Empowers mRNA Cancer Vaccine Research

A joint team of Yale, University of Georgia, and Emory University scientists have received a $25 million government grant to develop an mRNA cancer vaccine. 

On September 7, 2023, Carlos Salcerio with Yale News reported the research combines the team's expertise in mRNA and dendritic cells.

These researchers seek to develop synthetic mRNA that will carry instructions for cancer-specific antigens to dendritic cells. 

By programming dendritic cells with synthetic mRNA, researchers can precisely instruct the immune system to target cancer-specific antigens without attacking healthy cells.

Healthy cells modified to include unrecognized proteins using mRNA might have otherwise been treated as a foreign entity. 

The researchers recognized that vaccine breakthroughs often involve considerable complexities and difficulties.

"We're not naive.... we know how difficult this stuff is..... we have to pick our winners to move forward into the clinic.... but I would say that certainly there should be winners."