How Covid vaccines could help us in the fight against cancer

The same pioneering mRNA system that gave us Covid-19 vaccines could end up being key to helping cancer patients’ immune systems tackle the disease, writes Sean T Smith

Sometimes our immune systems need additional help to home in on the cancerous cells (Getty)

Patients are already benefiting from personalised cancer vaccines gleaned from the genetic damage found in their own biopsied tumours. Those vaccines are being delivered by the same pioneering mRNA system that gave us the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 jabs.

After decades of research and after finally being vindicated by its pandemic success, messenger RNA (mRNA) has established itself as a vaccine delivery platform so versatile it can be customised to carry individualised cancer vaccines.