The Happy Pod: Personalised cancer vaccine shows promise in major trial

This BBC Podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. The Hubble Space Telescope was designed to peer deeper into the universe than ever before, unlocking some of its greatest secrets, but after launch, a devastating flaw emerged. The significant spherical aberration appears to be present in the optics. National disaster, humble launch of Flood Mirror. The BBC Space Podcast, 13 minutes, is telling the inside story of how NASA rescued Hubble. The future of space astronomy depends on it. From the BBC World Service, 13 minutes, trouble with Hubble, all ever-sales available now, wherever you get to your BBC Podcasts. A question of science is back with a brand new series. Join me, Professor Brian Cox and a studio audience as we discuss and debates the most pressing scientific questions of the day. Questions such as, "How is AI transforming medicine? Can we cure addiction? How can we save our oceans? Can we beat superbooks?" Every episode driven by your curiosity answered, and this is the most important bit by a panel of people who know what they are talking about. Listen to series two of the question of science now, wherever you get your podcast. This is the happy pod from the BBC World Service. (Music) I'm Helena Burke, and in this edition, the new cancer vaccine showing major promise after an extensive trial on melanoma patients. That number is phenomenal. We did not expect it to be that high. We knew it would be important and significant, but this is phenomenal. The singer who became a global celebrity three decades after giving up on his dreams. I think, "Can I see your computer or your laptop?" he brought it. "As soon as I type in my name, you can't believe how come my pictures are all over the world, and I don't know. I broke down." How a group of neighbours in the United States rallied together to fulfill one young boy's dream. The brain bank, giving hope to Parkinson's patients and the ballet school, offering a brighter future for children living in one of the poorest parts of the world. (Music) Impressive, compelling, and truly remarkable. These are just some of the ways scientists have described the results of a global trial of a personalized cancer vaccine. The trial involved skin cancer patients who had already had their tumour removed through surgery. The injection reduced the risk of patients dying or the cancer returning by more than 40%. The trial spanned more than 25 countries and was led by Professor Georgina Long of the Melanoma Institute, Australia. She's spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about the results. We've shown that in people who've never had treatment before for their melanoma, where it's been resected, where they're at high risk of it coming back and causing their death, adding the two drugs together, rather than one, decreases their risk of recurrence or death by 42% that number is phenomenal. We did not expect it to be that high, so we knew it would be important and significant, but this is phenomenal. What it means, though, for the cancer field is for the first time ever. We have shown that we can give the immune system a fingerprint, a specific code, a personalized vaccine for which the immune system can then fight against. That's never been done before in this way. But how does this so-called melanoma vaccine actually work? The BBC's Medical Editor, Fergus Wall, she's here to explain. In this trial, more than 1100 patients, all of them got an established immunotherapy drug, and then two-thirds of them were given this personalized vaccine. Now, they took a sample of the patient's tumor, and then they got the genetic fingerprint, looking at the specific unique mutations in their cancer, and then using the same mRNA technology that's found in many COVID jabs, they then trained the immune system to recognise that genetic fingerprint, and then train it to seek out and destroy those lingering cancer cells. This is really exciting. I've been following this trial now for over three years, and the reason why it's so important is it's proof of principle that a personalized treatment vaccine can be effective. Now, that's really extraordinary. It heralds potentially a new era in cancer treatment. Now, there are some caveats here. Firstly, we don't know about long-term survival, and secondly, this is going to be really expensive. You imagine doing a personalized drug for every patient. I think it likely to get a license next year, probably first of all in the US, but then in Europe and perhaps in the UK. Obviously, for patients, this is potentially remarkable. These are all patients who had melanoma in the most aggressive form of skin cancer, and buying them more time with their family in good health, although the jab does come with potential side effects. Well, they would say you can't put a price on that. Fogus Walsh. Imagine finding out you're a world famous singer, and you didn't even know it. Well, that's exactly what happened to the Nigerian artist, Steve Minite. Steve was heartbroken when his debut album flopped in 1984, but more than three decades later, the world has suddenly discovered his music, and he's now known as the King of Boogie. Tommy Dixon traveled to Nigeria to meet this unexpected celebrity. On a street in Etebbing and neighborhood in Lagos' mainland, there's a large gray roofed house that stands much taller than the rest. It's owned by artists and musicians, Steve Minite, who invited us into his home and studio. So, I know Steve, they call you the King of Boogie. Where did that name come from? Well, it came from one of the BBC writers who said, this is the only grave of music by Steve Minite, now the King of Boogie. It's a type of recognition not many people get to experience in their lifetime, and for Steve, it's something that's been a long time coming. When his experimental electronic funk album Only You was released in 1984, nobody raised the eyebrow. And for over three decades, heartbroken Steve and his work was seemingly forgotten. And that was the case. Until a new generation of pop icons like Frank Ocean, Kechenada and many more brought Steve's music back into the limelight and restored the King to his throne. Do you remember some of their early records that inspired you? Yeah, TP, telepandagras. That was a beautiful lovely music. And Dins Brown. Dins Brown was the boss. What was it about show business that appealed to you? Exciting songs, songs that can bring people together. And I was a very good dancer. So it's a straight way from a very, very early age. People knew that you had a talent for entertainment. Because if they could pay to get me to sing, that shows there is something lucky. And when I sing this song, everybody will be so happy. After an unsuccessful attempt to get in a record deal in London, Steve found luck with ear my record in Nigeria. And in 1984, he released his debut album Only You. Only You was bold and experimental for its time. Although it was a risk, Steve was hoped for the music would find its audience. Unfortunately, things didn't pan out that way. So in 1984, your album Only You comes out. And it doesn't perform the way that you would hope. And you decided, you know, you're done with music. What were you going to do? I had to get a job. I need to put food on the table and pay my bills. I was working in a bakery, and I left there. I worked with Technicolor, doing duplicates, video machines. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure of a weight. Life is very interesting. They can throw you in any direction. How long do I have to continue doing this? I've had enough. One day, I went to visit my brother, who I just chatting with. 2017 to 2018. I went to Reading to see him. He's got three kids. The second song looked at me and said, "Unco, unco, unco, I saw you on the net. You're a big star." I said, "Get out of here." What are you talking about? They're not juky. I saw your music. It was been played by Frank Ocean. R&B superstar was playing your music Steve. Yeah, live on L.A. Festival. That was the beginning of the explosion. How did your nephews know about your music? They were going through the internet and the source of money to say, "Oh daddy, is that Uncle Steve?" They played music one time. I just left it there. Really. "He said star, so the day I visited the house." "Unko, I didn't know you were a musician." "I said I forgot to say about that." "What do you know about music?" And he said, "No, no, no, no." "Unko, I'm serious." I said, "Can I see your computer or your laptop?" He brought me a pam pam. "As soon as I type in my name, you can believe for three hours." "You've just seen so many different entries." "People were writing my name on their legs." "I made that name." "Of only you." "Wow." "All over the world, Turkey." "How come my pictures are all over the world?" "And I don't know." "I broke down." The fragments of his dreams buried for decades rose to the surface suddenly and left Steve Reeling. "How could he have been a star all along and not known?" "Well, it turns out a London label called Soundway Records had discovered his music while creating a compilation album of Nigeria's 80s pop and disco. While Steve had moved on and was keeping a low profile in London, soundways had been looking for him. And on New Year's Day in 2019, they finally made contact. "When all hope was lost, victory fell on me. I thank God for my life at the moment. I'm able to do what I want now. So I'm back in the music industry for the next 10 years. I'm going to shake the world." Tommy Dixon speaking to Steve Minete. And you can listen to Steve's full interview without look by searching Nigeria's Forgotten King of Buggy on the BBC website. This weekend, millions of children around the world will be trickle-treating for Halloween. But earlier this year, residents of a town in the Southern United States got a visit from a trickle-treater who was several months early. That visitor was Soren, a young autistic boy who loves ringing doorbells. Soren's mother then hatched a plan to let him ring as many doorbells as he wanted. And the response from her neighbours blew her away. Steve Hartman from the BBC's US Partner Station CBS has the story. Residents of this otherwise normal neighborhood in Huntsville, Alabama say they saw the strangest sight. He was dressed up like a banana. A banana. Yeah, he was a banana. And he's walking up. And I open the door. And he's standing there with his little bag. He just likes ringing doorbells. I don't know why. He likes being nosy. Leah Pharaoh says her son Soren is autistic. And although doorbells have always been his passion, unfortunately, you can't exactly take your kid out ding dong ditching. Which is why Halloween. That one time of year when you can just go up and push random doorbells is by far Soren's favourite holiday. And it's why, for his birthday, his mom posted this note on Facebook. I was wondering if anyone would be open to letting Soren trickle-treat at their house. I would happily provide candy. She was hoping for maybe five replies. But instead, they kept coming. One after the other. In the end, almost a hundred neighbours said yes. And you knew none of these people. Yeah, no, I don't. These aren't my friends, you know. I mean, now they are. Yeah. Can you ring the doorbell? So, for his 11th birthday, Soren went door to door to door. To door. Big old thing. And door again. Hi! Until that Halloween basket runneth over. There you go! And what's most interesting is that no one took Leah up on her offer to supply the candy. Oh, more than candy. He got Doritos and Play-Doh and Lego sets. I was a little overwhelmed by the kindness because I'm like, "How can I ever repay this?" But the neighbours say repayment is hardly necessary. You don't often get the opportunity to directly help someone you don't really know. To see that smile on that little boy's face was miraculous. Joy made possible by a neighbourhood with real curb, uphill. Steve Hartman in Alabama. Coming up in this podcast, how one man's determination helps save the threatened African manatee. Not only is impacting the manatee, but also the local community because the plants interfere with the fishing activities. The Hubble Space Telescope was designed to peer deeper into the universe than ever before. Unlocking some of its greatest secrets. But after launch, a devastating flaw emerged. The significant spherical aberration fears to be present in the optics. The National disaster, Hubble launched with Flood Mirror. From the BBC World Service, 13 minutes, trouble with Hubble. All ever sayings available now, wherever you get to your BBC Podcasts. Join me, Professor Brian Cox, and a studio audience as we discuss and debate the most pressing scientific questions of the day. Questions such as, how is AI transforming medicine? Can we beat superbooks? Every episode driven by your curiosity answered. And this is the most important bit by a panel of people who know what they are talking about. Listen to series two of the questions of science now, wherever you get your podcasts. The real-life dramas of one of Italy's most prominent dynasties, Fiat's Agnieli family. Fiat was so important in Italy's economy. Italy was Fiat, Fiat was Italy. Inheritance Fiat from the BBC World Service. It's about money. Power the succession story. Listen now, wherever you get your BBC Podcasts. Welcome to the haunted library. Join me, Colin Morgan, as I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. A story of science and ambition, loneliness and longing, and what it truly means to be human. Listen to the haunted library, wherever you get your podcasts, or find us on YouTube. Here in the UK, a charity is encouraging people to donate their brains to help find treatments and eventually a cure for Parkinson's disease. Researchers who work on the scheme, known as the Brain Bank, send the tissue all over the world to be studied. The Habby Pod's Holly Gibbs spoke to Becky Jones from Parkinson's UK about it, and also to Neil and McGrath, whose mother D donated her brain to the scheme. The Parkinson's UK Brain Bank is funded by Parkinson's UK, and it's a place where people can choose to pledge their brains to go towards helping us understand Parkinson's. There are 1,600 brains in the Brain Bank at the moment, which is phenomenal. 1,600 people who have selflessly given us their ultimate resource when it comes to understanding Parkinson's better to helping us unlock what's happening in the brain and using that to develop better treatments and hopefully one day cure for the condition. And it's not just people with Parkinson's, is it who can donate their brain? No, absolutely not. So the Parkinson's UK Brain Bank accepts tissue from also people who have lived without a diagnosis of Parkinson's. And this is really, really important because we need to understand what's happening in the condition and to do that we need to be able to compare it to people who don't have the condition. Sometimes it's really helpful to be able to compare members of the same family so we can look at whether there are any genetic changes or lifestyle things like that that might be linked to what we're seeing in the brain and just understand that full picture. How huge would finding a cure for Parkinson's be? I can't even begin to tell you how huge finding a cure for Parkinson's would be. It's unlikely to be just one silver bullet, one size fits all cure, but the more that we're understanding about Parkinson's, the more we can start to put together a picture that will help us. First of all, find better treatments. We still don't have any treatments that can slow or stop progression of Parkinson's, but there are more treatments in that final phase of testing of clinical testing. Then there ever have been that can and that will have the potential to slow or stop Parkinson's. So I think that we're in a really hopeful time for Parkinson's research, but we definitely need to keep building on this momentum. But I think it's a really hopeful time for Parkinson's research and that's only really thanks to people like Noam and your family who are giving their time and their effort and so much more. Well, that brings me nicely on to Neelam. How do you feel knowing that your mum is helping people who were in a similar situation to her? We're hugely proud, Holly, just so so proud. When she was diagnosed, she started talking about the brain balance. pretty swiftly and it's interesting that Becky says that you know it's a family thing I don't think I had a choice right she absolutely knew what she wanted and she was very she knew her mind she was very clear right from her beginning and her legacy she was really clear about that. I got a lovely letter after her donations saying outlining four different strands of neuro research that her brain will contribute to and I thought that's an incredible legacy it's just not just Parkinson's it's MS and you know other things so yeah just hugely proud. Becky Jones and Neil and McGrath speaking to Holly Gibbs. To Kenya now where a dance school is giving hope to children in Nairobi's largest slum the Kibera ballet school has been operating for more than a decade offering not just dance classes but also academic support and help with school applications and scholarships. The BBC's Caroline Jotham visited the community and met the young dancers perfecting their pirouettes for pursuing dreams beyond the stage. About five kilometers southwest of Nairobi City Center lies one of Africa's largest slums Kibera. For thousands who live here immediate challenges vary from sanitation to formal utility connections. But this is also home to a thriving dance school. One that 15-year-old Lydia has been attending for close to 10 years now. On Saturdays we used to go for tuition so after tuition I carry my bag and my sister on my back so we come for ballet then in the evening I go back I base her. Yes ballet classical ballet we are tutors and pirouettes seem wild away from the puzzle of everyday life in Kibera. Lydia's childhood has been full of uncertainty but for her and hundreds of other children living here in Kibera ballet has remained a constant. ballet was a place for me to like feel at home after a stressful day of school of work at home I come for ballet I express myself I find friends we play together. Under the guidance of teacher Maikwamaya dozens of children come here each week to learn far more than steps and techniques. We use ballet because it has a lot of body training components in it so basically ballet from a beginning edge teaches children body presence teaches children body placement teaches children body awareness so those three components are so key when it comes to growth. Yes one of teacher Maik's first student was Flavian she's now in her final year of medical school at the University of Nairobi. If you met me into a eight and told me that Flavian you will become a doctor in 2026 I wouldn't even believe you because the background was wow Macy there are no lights you're trying to study you cannot study because now people are drinking I don't I think also the issue of poverty and maybe you're using alcohol to escape it wasn't easy honestly it wasn't. Today Flavian reflects on her ballet journey while watching Maik's class perform on the biggest stage yet. Honestly watching these kids perform just takes me back I'm seeing dreams honestly because I know if they're going to dance and be ambitious and be passionate about and also be serious with studies me I'm seeing doctors I'm seeing engineers in future and I'm also seeing great ballerinas. I see myself chasing my dreams and being a ballerina who who is a cardiologist and also is a helpful person to the society and people who aren't able to like help themselves. That report from Caroline Jotham in Nairobi. What do today's teenagers having common with people in their 70s 80s and 90s probably more than you might think. Olderly residents at a care home in England have been paired up with teenagers to work on creative projects together. The partnership aims to bridge generations and build meaningful friendships. Jane McCubbin went to an art class to meet them. My name is Dorothy Gordon. How old are you Dorothy? 21. At well into the 90s Dorothy Gordon is the undisputed star of a new art class in Essex on the South coast of England. Once every term teenage students from Belfers academy now swap their classroom for bully court care home. At the end you need to sign this as well by the way. They arrive with sketchbooks, paints and ideas and what follows is about so much more than art. Dorothy like oh she's cheeky. The first time we came here we got the impression and it was good. This is Holly who's 15. We were like we're going to sit with Dorothy she's claimed. And for Dorothy who was one of six siblings but never blessed with her own children these sessions feel like a blessing. You enjoy being with the kids. I love that. I've come from a big family. I think all children are beautiful. We usually come on a Friday and when we live we're skipping. We're in love. I love it. This is art teacher Janine Lilick. There's just so many characters here. Dorothy. Yep she tells all the student stories when she was younger. Are you a bad influence? No. But yeah they've learnt quite a lot from her. I call them life skills. Personal development is what we call it. The impact on residents has been just as significant. Kind of some friendship and just pure joy. Abby Haysmith is from Ulykord and there is just something that that connection between the older and younger generation they have something special. Why are that is? I don't know why but it exists and we're happy to facilitate it. Beautiful art is being created here but that is less important than the connections that they've been made. They walk out of here, tempered, taller, really happy with themselves and actually some of our students we've brought. They're usually really shy and actually I've seen them flourish. I've seen a different side to them as well. It's such a nice thing to do and I get out of school. This is Grace, who's painting with 91-year-old Amy. So lovely to see her. She brings me back to school. They're so natural. They've got good teachers obviously. Obviously. Psychologists call it generativity. The instinct to pass something on to the next generation, a desire to share what you've learned and leave something of yourself behind. What advice would you give teenagers today? Today, look after one of them. 71-year-old Jennifer Spencer has the best advice of all. Just be nice people, just be nice people. Yeah, that's right, that's it. That's all we need, isn't it really? Jane McCubbin with that report. We end this episode in Cameroon with news of a major win for the African Manatee. If you're not familiar with it, it's a large and secretive aquatic mammal that mainly eats plants and looks something like a slow, portly dolphin. Back in 2024, the BBC spoke to the Cameroonian conservationist Dr. Aristide Kamla about his efforts to protect the species in Lake Osso. At the time, the lake was battling an invasion of giant salvinia and aggressive aquatic weed. Conservationist Aristide Kamla has made it his life goal to conserve the African Manatee. This weed is actually choking the favorite plant species of manatee called achinochroa and it's also preventing the African Manatee from breathing normally because they are mammals. They have to surface and imagine this plant is forming a carpet on top of the surface and not only is impacting the manatee, but also the local community that has been very impacted because the plants interfere with the fishing activities that it's created and the economy crisis there. Fast forward two years and Dr. Kamla is back with some great news. His team at the African marine conservation organization have removed almost all of the invasive plant from the lake and there's more reason to celebrate. Sightings of the elusive African Manatee are becoming more and more common and Kachiyabona from the BBC's Focus on Africa podcast spoke to Dr. Kamla about how a hungry insect helps solve the problem. We use what we call biological control using a tiny little insect called salvinia weaver that fits specifically on salvinia and this insect was able to clear out all the salvinia in the lake. And why is this manatee especially very important especially in the ecosystem. The African Manatee play an important role in the food chain for fishermen it has fertilizing the water and if the water is well fertilized it needs more fish. A lot of times you know critics argue that researchers or research is conducted in communities without the involvement of the locals. So what role would you say local communities play in particular? in Lake Ossah and ensuring the progress you've made is sustained. - It's a fisherman who taught me how to observe a manatee, how to determine where they have been, where they have eaten. And since then, it's inspiring even to build a citizen science app called Sirens, but allow fishermen to report opportunistic sightings of wildlife around their environment. And today, we have a database of over 40,000 observations that has helped to do some advocacy for the protection of four marine mammoth species in Cameroon, and also to build a catalog of shark and race comprising of 46 species that include even species that was taught to have gone extinct. So working with community is key. - Cameroonian conservationist Dr. Aristide Kamla, speaking to Uncaici Abona. - And that's all from the happy pod for now. We'd love to hear from you, as ever, the address is global podcast at bbc.co.uk. This issue was produced by Shantel Hartel and Holly Gibbs. The editor is Karen Martin, and I'm Helena Burke. Until next time, goodbye. - The Hubble Space Telescope was designed to peer deeper into the universe than ever before, unlocking some of its greatest secrets. - The significant spherical aberration appears to be present in the optics. - National disaster, Hubble launch with Flood Mirror. - The bbc space podcast, 30 minutes, is telling the inside story of how NASA rescued Hubble. - The future of space astronomy depends on it. - From the bbc wool service, 13 minutes, trouble with Hubble, all ever sayings available now, wherever you get to your bbc podcast.