Once known mostly for its role in COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA technology is now being studied for a much wider range of medical uses, including personalized cancer treatment.
In South Carolina, that research has a direct connection to Charleston.
MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, has highlighted clinical trials using mRNA technology to develop personalized cancer treatments designed to help reduce the risk of cancer returning. The work is part of a broader shift in cancer research toward therapies that are more precise and tailored to individual patients.
Unlike traditional vaccines that are given to prevent disease before it occurs, some mRNA-based cancer treatments are being studied for patients who have already been diagnosed. Researchers are exploring whether information from a patient’s own tumor can be used to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells that may remain after surgery or other treatment.
Melanoma is one area where researchers have reported promising results.
More than 112,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with invasive melanoma this year, and more than 8,500 are expected to die from the disease, according to federal cancer statistics. Treatment for advanced melanoma has changed significantly over the past decade, largely because of immunotherapy and other advances that have helped some patients live longer.
Recent clinical trial results involving a personalized mRNA-based cancer treatment combined with immunotherapy showed a significant reduction in the risk of melanoma recurrence or death. The treatment remains under study, and researchers say additional trials are needed, but the results have helped fuel interest in mRNA’s potential role in cancer care.
For Charleston, the research adds another layer to the region’s growing life sciences economy.
South Carolina’s life sciences sector now includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, health technology, research laboratories and advanced manufacturing. According to SCbio, the industry includes more than 1,000 firms statewide, supports more than 87,000 jobs and generates billions of dollars in annual economic impact.
Charleston is one of the centers of that activity. The region is home to MUSC, Hollings Cancer Center, research facilities, health care companies, entrepreneurs and a growing technology workforce. Supporters of the sector say those assets make the Lowcountry an important part of South Carolina’s broader effort to compete for life sciences investment, research funding and clinical trials.
The local connection is especially relevant in a coastal community where many residents spend time outdoors. While melanoma is not limited to coastal areas, skin cancer awareness is a familiar topic in the Lowcountry, where boating, fishing, golf, beach days and other outdoor activities are part of everyday life.
Doctors have long emphasized prevention measures such as sunscreen, protective clothing and regular skin checks. At the same time, researchers continue to study new treatment options for patients diagnosed with more advanced disease.
The development of mRNA-based cancer treatments is still ongoing. Not every therapy being studied will become widely available, and patients are encouraged to speak with their physicians about treatment options that may be appropriate for their specific diagnosis.
Still, the research reflects how quickly cancer care is changing.
For decades, many cancer treatments followed a more standardized approach based on the type and stage of the disease. Increasingly, researchers are using genetic information, tumor biology and immune system response to develop therapies that are more personalized to the patient.
That shift could have implications beyond medicine. Life sciences leaders say advances in cancer research can also influence workforce development, university partnerships, startup activity, laboratory space, clinical trial access and advanced manufacturing.
In South Carolina, those connections are becoming more visible as the state works to grow its life sciences industry. The sector has become a focus for economic development because it can create high-wage jobs while also supporting research and health care innovation.
In Charleston, the presence of an academic medical center and NCI-designated cancer center gives the region a role in that growth. Clinical research conducted locally can connect South Carolina patients to emerging therapies while helping attract additional investment and talent to the state.
mRNA technology remains only one part of the larger cancer research landscape. But its use in personalized medicine has expanded the public conversation around a technology many people first encountered during the pandemic.
For patients, researchers and health care providers, the next chapter may look very different.
In Charleston, some of that work is already underway.