Our most recent symposium included a virtual lab tour to share the journey of a
melanoma patient’s blood sample in the lab as they focus on being able to target
melanoma cells in lymph nodes. Part two of the symposium provided an encouraging
update on melanoma clinical trials underway at Moderna.
We encourage melanoma patients, caregivers, families, medical students, and melanoma
survivors to watch the recording of this informative and encouraging symposium
that included the following two presenters:
- Jessalyn Ubellacker, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Kyle Holen, MD, Moderna, SVP, Therapeutics and Oncology – Research & Development
A Summary of the Two Part Symposium:
Part 1 of the symposium was presented by Dr. Ubellacker. She opened by
explaining the collaboration between leading local Boston hospitals and the Ubellacker
Lab at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School. While these hospitals’ clinicians are treating
melanoma patients, her bench lab is performing research on very early stages of new
biological discoveries that may lead to new therapeutic treatments for melanoma.
The presentation followed the journey of a melanoma patient’s blood sample and an
overview of the ‘workflow’ starting with the patient providing a sample at a hospital, to
the sample delivered to her lab and the journey it takes with her research team to
determine a metabolic profile, analyze the plasma, and test various drug agents on the
melanoma cells.
During part 1 of this symposium, Dr Ubellacker explains the difference in melanoma
cells’ behavior whether they are in the blood stream or in the lymph nodes. Their lab
focuses on identifying how melanoma cells in the lymph node environment (which
‘protects’ the melanoma cells) can be targeted to block their growth.
Dr. Ubellacker concludes her portion of the presentation providing context surrounding
the role of academic science in identifying new melanoma therapies and advancing
existing therapies.
Part 2 of IMPACT Melanoma’s Fall 2025 symposium welcomed back Dr. Kyle Holen
from Moderna to present an update on the status of melanoma-related clinical trials.
Holen leads the oncology research and development team at Moderna and presented
last Fall at our 2024 Fall Symposium.
Holen’s presentation included an overview of the many programs underway at
Moderna and at various stages of clinical trial regarding melanoma treatments.
Holen focused his presentation on mRNA 4359, a clinical trial of an individualized
melanoma vaccine. The timing of our symposium was great as the results of the clinical
trials had recently been presented at an international conference, the European Society
of Medical Oncology, in October 2025.
Holen presented an overview of encouraging results from 24 patients registered in the
clinical trial. Results included one melanoma patient who received the vaccine, after which doctors could no longer detect cancer, and many of the other participants whose melanoma tumors shrunk after receiving the vaccine. for whom after the vaccine they
Holen fielded many insightful questions from symposium attendees.
We encourage you to watch the symposium recording and to email us with topic
ideas for future IMPACT Melanoma symposiums of which we offer twice a year.
