Turkish doctors Sahin and Tureci bring hope to lung cancer patients
Ugur Sahin and his wife Dr Ozlem Tureci were awarded the Order of Merit, Germany, March19, 2021 (AA Photo)
Following their groundbreaking work on the COVID-19 vaccine, BioNTech founders Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci are now offering hope to lung cancer patients with their new messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, BNT116.
Lung cancer claims 1.8 million lives annually worldwide. In response, Sahin and Tureci have initiated clinical trials in seven countries, including Türkiye. The first dose of the BNT116 mRNA lung cancer vaccine was administered to a patient in the U.K.
Phase 1 clinical trials for BNT116 are being conducted at 34 research centers across the U.K., U.S., Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Türkiye. Approximately 130 patients, at various stages of lung cancer – from early-stage to advanced or recurring disease – will receive the vaccine alongside immunotherapy.
1st vaccine was given to scientist Janusz Racz
The first dose in the U.K. was given to 67-year-old AI scientist Janusz Racz, who will receive weekly doses for six weeks, followed by doses every three weeks for 54 weeks. Racz, diagnosed with cancer in May and currently undergoing chemotherapy, emphasized the importance of participating in such research for scientific progress.
Oncologist professor Siow Ming Lee from the U.K. research center explained that the vaccine works on a simple principle: it targets specific antigens in cancer cells.
Like the COVID-19 vaccines, it uses messenger mRNA to prepare the body to fight cancer cells. Unlike chemotherapy, this approach boosts the immune response against cancer without harming healthy cells.
