Key highlights

• Precision oncology uses data from the patient's own tumor to improve therapeutic design
• Personalized cancer approaches include targeted therapies, immune therapies, hormone therapies, and cancer vaccines
• RNA cancer vaccines use mRNA to deliver tumor-specific antigens, allowing the patient's own immune system to attack their cancer

Introduction

Cancer care is undergoing a revolution—one that moves beyond a one-size-fits-all chemotherapy approach toward highly personalized, targeted strategies. At the forefront of this transformation is precision oncology, a field that tailors cancer treatment based on the unique genetic, molecular, and immunologic profile of a patient’s tumor. Among the most promising innovations in this space are RNA cancer vaccines, which harness messenger RNA (mRNA) to train the immune system to recognize and attack tumor-specific/associated antigens.

What Is precision oncology?

Precision oncology—also called personalized cancer medicine—relies on advanced diagnostics to analyze the molecular makeup of a patient’s tumor. This includes profiling DNA mutations, RNA fusions, gene expression, and immune markers within the tumor microenvironment.

“If chemotherapy is a big bomb that kills everything surrounding it, targeted therapy is a precision bomb that kills based on certain features of the tumor the bomb is seeking.” said Zhonglin Hao, MD, PhD, Thoracic Medical Oncologist and Medical Director of Markey Cancer Center Clinical Research Organization.  The resulting insights allow oncologists to match patients with therapies that directly address the biological drivers of their cancer^1,2.

Benefits of precision oncology

Compared to traditional approaches for oncology, precision oncology offers a number of unique benefits:

• Treatment outcomes are improved by focusing on the driver of the tumor by using tumor-specific data
• Reduced damage to healthy tissues compared to conventional chemotherapy can lead to fewer side effects
• Immune-based memory and molecular targeting may help prevent recurrence

Key components of precision oncology

1. Genetic profiling

The tumor DNA/RNA is sequenced to identify mutations or alterations driving cancer growth. These insights guide the selection of targeted therapies that inhibit or correct the faulty molecular signals².

2. Molecular profiling

Analyses of gene and protein expression are performed to reveal active pathways that may be influencing tumor behavior and therapy resistance³.

3. Immunologic profiling

The immune landscape around the tumor is evaluated to help identify candidates for immunotherapy, such as checkpoint inhibitors or RNA vaccines⁴.

Types of personalized cancer therapies

Modern cancer care uses a combination of traditional and personalized approaches. Here’s a snapshot of the most common personalized therapy types:

Targeted Therapy

Blocks specific molecular pathways turned on by genetic mutations. One example are EGFR inhibitors for EGFR-mutated lung cancer.

Immunotherapy

Boosts or redirects the immune system to attack cancer cells. Often paired with immune profiling to optimize selection.

Hormone Therapy

Used in hormone-driven cancers like breast and prostate. It disrupts hormone signaling that supports tumor growth.

Chemotherapy

Still central to cancer treatment, but increasingly personalized based on genetic profiles to reduce toxicity and enhance synergy.

RNA cancer vaccines, the new frontier

What are RNA cancer vaccines?

RNA cancer vaccines use synthetic mRNA to encode proteins known as neoantigens—tumor-specific/associated proteins that the immune system can recognize as foreign. Delivered via lipid nanoparticles or other carriers, the mRNA trains the immune system to mount a targeted response against cancer cells^5,6.

Unlike traditional cancer vaccines that rely on proteins or peptides, RNA cancer vaccines use mRNA to deliver the genetic blueprint for tumor-specific antigens directly into the body’s cells. Once inside, the cells produce these antigens, effectively turning the patient’s own body into a personalized bioreactor for immune training. This approach bypasses time-consuming manufacturing steps and allows for faster iteration during development.

Strengths and weaknesses of RNA cancer vaccines

As with any therapy, there are different advantages and disadvantages to RNA cancer vaccines.

Strengths:

• Personalized for each patient’s tumor mutations
• Rapid development using synthetic platforms
• Do not integrate into the genome
• Can generate durable immune memory

Negatives:

• Delivery requires specialized carriers (e.g., LNPs)
• mRNA can be unstable without proper formulation
• Efficacy varies across tumor types and patient populations⁵

Pairing RNA vaccines with other cancer therapies

To further improve treatment outcomes, RNA vaccines can be paired with other therapies including:

• Checkpoint inhibitors – To lift immune suppression and boost T-cell responses⁷.
• Chemotherapy or radiation – To reduce tumor load and expose more antigens
• Adjuvant therapy – Post-surgical use to eliminate minimal residual disease and prevent recurrence

Cancer vaccines in development

Several RNA cancer vaccines are currently in clinical trials across tumor types such as melanoma, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and head and neck cancers. Notably, companies like BioNTech, Moderna, and Gritstone Bio are advancing personalized mRNA vaccines that encode for patient-specific neoantigens based on tumor sequencing data. Early phase studies have shown robust immune activation and signs of antitumor activity, supporting that RNA vaccines have great potential for treating cancers^5,6.

How Eclipsebio supports the future of precision oncology

At Eclipsebio, we specialize in advanced RNA analysis and sequencing solutions that accelerate the discovery and development of personalized cancer therapeutics. Whether you're developing mRNA cancer vaccines, optimizing untranslated regions (UTRs) for expression, or characterizing complex transcriptomes, our services provide the critical insights needed to move your therapeutic pipeline forward.

We support your drug development programs by:

• Identifying tumor-specific RNA features and biomarkers
• Optimizing RNA stability, structure, and delivery
• Performing QC for regulatory-compliant development

Our comprehensive technologies are already powering next-generation oncology research—because in precision medicine, sequence matters.

A personalized path forward

Precision oncology is redefining how we treat cancer—moving from generalized protocols to intelligent, individualized care. With the advent of RNA cancer vaccines, we're closer than ever to developing therapies that are not only more effective but also safer and uniquely tailored to each patient’s biology.

Whether it’s through targeted therapies, immunomodulators, or custom RNA platforms, the future of oncology lies in personalization—and that future is already taking shape.

References

1. 1. AICR
2. 2. American Cancer Society
3. 3. Malone et al.
4. 4. Chhabra
5. 5. Rojas et al.
6. 6. Fu et al.
7. 7. Shariati et al.