A 67-year-old man has become the first person in the UK to try what doctors hope will be a revolutionary new treatment for lung cancer - a vaccine that tells the body how to fight and kill the disease. It uses the same mRNA technology as some Covid jabs to give instructions to the immune system. The early-stage trial in which Janusz Racz is taking part will check the shot is safe.
Some 34 research sites in seven countries, including University College London in the UK, will recruit 130 patients to try it. The treatment should specifically target cancer cells for destruction rather than healthy ones, hopefully meaning fewer side effects. It contains information about several markers found on the surface of lung cancer cells to teach the patient's immune system what to find and fight.
The BNT116 vaccine, made by German biotechnology company BioNTech, could be a game-changer, say experts. Prof Siow Ming Lee, who is clinical lead for the UK part of the trial, told the BBC's Today programme: "We hope to kick-start this new era of mRNA cancer vaccine treatment for lung cancer. "Hopefully, in combination with the current standard treatment - immunotherapy and chemotherapy - we can provide an additional immune boost.
" Mr Racz, from London, says he is open to trying new things. "I hope it will provide a defence against cancer cells. But I also thought that my participation in this research could help other people in future, and help this therapy become more widely available.
"As a sci.