A trial of the world’s first “personalised” vaccine against the deadliest form of skin cancer is under way in the UK.

The mRNA vaccine is designed to help patient’s immune systems to recognise and wipe out cancerous melanoma cells.

It is personalised to the individual patient – with its make-up created to match the unique genetic signature of the patient's own tumour, and works by instructing the body to make proteins or antibodies that attack markers or antigens found only on those cancer cells.

Experts in some other countries, including Australia, are also trying it on patients, to gather more evidence and see whether it should be rolled out more widely.

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