Peptide Vaccine Targeting KRAS Mutations Promising for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

FRIDAY, July 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A peptide vaccine targeting six common KRAS mutations (mKRAS-VAX) generates durable T-cell responses in individuals with hereditary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) predisposition, according to a study published online July 16 in Cancer Discovery.

S. Daniel Haldar, M.D., from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues conducted a phase 1, first-in-human study evaluating mKRAS-VAX in 20 individuals with hereditary PDAC predisposition and a radiographic pancreatic abnormality to assess safety, immunogenicity, and T-cell persistence.

The researchers found that grade 1 or 2 adverse events occurred. A significant mKRAS-specific T-cell response was elicited by vaccination in 18 of 20 participants. Vaccine-induced mKRAS-specific clonotypes persisted for up to two years on longitudinal T-cell receptor sequencing. No participants developed PDAC during a median follow-up of 16.5 months.

“This long-lasting response is particularly noteworthy when assessing for possible interception of cancer, which requires long-lasting immunity,” co-senior author Neeha Zaidi, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a statement. “In addition, the vaccine was safe and well tolerated, supporting its use in larger cancer interception studies.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry; several authors have filed patents related to the KRAS peptides and/or T-cell receptors.

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