World’s first personalised cancer vaccine trial for children to begin in Australia

Australia is set to launch the world’s first clinical trials of a personalised cancer vaccine designed for children with treatment-resistant brain tumours, the University of Queensland said.

The vaccine, known as PaedNEO-VAX, will be tested over four years across eight children’s hospitals nationwide. The trial will involve 70 paediatric patients diagnosed with brain cancer whose life expectancy is less than two years. Each vaccine will be individually tailored based on the genetic profile of the child’s tumour.

Professor Jordan Hansford, who is involved in the study, said the approach represents a new personalised strategy for treating particularly aggressive forms of brain cancer. The first phase will focus on identifying a safe and effective dose, while the second phase will assess whether the therapy slows disease progression, improves survival and enhances quality of life.

The vaccine is based on mRNA technology, with customised genetic targets selected for each patient.