Merseyside Woman Becomes First Patient Worldwide to Receive New Lung Cancer Vaccine in Clinical Trial

Chris Jones, a 68-year-old lung cancer patient from Merseyside, has become the first person globally to receive a personalized vaccine in a clinical trial at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. The vaccine uses synthetic 'doggybone' DNA mapped from her own tumour to prevent immunotherapy resistance, which affects half of advanced lung cancer patients. Led by Professors Christian Ottensmeier and Natalia Savelyeva, the highly coordinated trial involves multiple UK organizations and will monitor 10 patients over 24 weeks.

Lung cancer vaccine trial

• ▪The early-stage clinical trial for the new lung cancer vaccine will involve 10 patients receiving seven doses over a 24-week period.
• ▪Chris Jones, a 68-year-old woman from Hoylake, Merseyside, became the first patient worldwide to receive a new lung cancer vaccine in a clinical trial at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Personalized vaccine development process

• ▪The "doggybone" synthetic DNA is faster and cheaper to produce than normal bacterial DNA, potentially making individually tailored vaccines more achievable for the National Health Service.
• ▪The personalized vaccine is created by mapping the DNA of the patient's own tumour biopsy to engineer synthetic DNA known as "doggybone" DNA.

Immunotherapy resistance challenge

• ▪Approximately half of advanced lung cancer patients experience resistance to immunotherapy after an initial response as the cancer learns to evade the treatment.
• ▪The new vaccine aims to boost the immune system to recognize and fight advanced non-small cell lung cancer tumours that have previously evaded detection.

Multi-organization clinical trial collaboration

• ▪Medical Oncology Consultant Dr. Carles Escriu stated that the complex study requires significant coordination, noting that few medical centres worldwide would consider conducting it.
• ▪The clinical trial is led by Professors Christian Ottensmeier and Natalia Savelyeva and involves collaboration among the University of Liverpool, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, NHS Blood and Transplant, and genetics and immunotherapy firms.

Patient motivation through personal loss

• ▪Chris Jones will undergo a scan six weeks after receiving the vaccine to determine if the treatment has successfully shrunk her tumour.
• ▪Chris Jones volunteered for the clinical trial to extend her life, help future patients, and honor her eldest daughter, Alex, who died from secondary breast cancer nearly 10 years prior.

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