Within the next ten years, cancer vaccinations may be available to patients, according to the husband and wife team behind one of the most popular Covid vaccines.
Professors Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, a married German pair, stated they are hesitant to claim they have discovered a cure for cancer but that they have made “breakthroughs” that they would continue to pursue.
They claimed that the creation and widespread use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 during the epidemic “gives back to our cancer efforts.”
The duo, who were featured in a BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show interview, co-founded BioNTech in Mainz, Germany, in 2008 and strove to develop the first personalized cancer immunotherapies.
During the epidemic, the couple’s usage of mRNA technology really shined, and they claimed that experience has helped to inspire their work.
Unlike traditional vaccines, which are created using weakened versions of a virus, mRNAs just require the genetic material of the virus. After being injected into the body, an mRNA vaccine instructs cells to produce antigens that the immune system recognizes and uses to prepare for disease combat.
When asked when many cancer patients would have access to cancer vaccinations, Prof. Sahin responded that it might occur “before 2030”.
The Covid-19 vaccine and our expertise in developing it now give back to our work on cancer, according to Prof. Tureci, who told Kuenssberg: “What we have developed over decades for cancer vaccine development has been the tailwind for developing the Covid-19 vaccine.
“We now know how to produce vaccinations more quickly and effectively. We know how the immune system responds to mRNA in a large number of people. The advancements, according to her, have also aided regulators in learning about mRNA vaccines and how to handle them.
“This will surely speed up the development of our cancer vaccine,” she continued. Prof. Tureci expressed optimism while remaining circumspect, saying: “As scientists we are always hesitant to say we will find a cure for cancer.
“We’ve made a lot of progress, and we’ll keep working on it,” Moderna said in August that it was suing BioNTech and its business partner, US pharmaceutical behemoth Pfizer, for violating the company’s Covid-19 vaccine patent.
When questioned about it, Prof. Sahin responded, “Our innovations are unique. We developed this form of treatment after 20 years of research, and we will fight to protect our intellectual property.
