Using mRNA to Teach the Body to Fight Prostate Cancer
This patent describes an active composition, often a vaccine, that uses messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct a mammal's cells to produce specific prostate cancer proteins, thereby training the immune system to attack prostate cancer cells.
Original patent title: “Composition for treating prostate cancer (PCa)”
This patent describes an active composition, often a vaccine, that uses messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct a mammal's cells to produce specific prostate cancer proteins, thereby training the immune system to attack prostate cancer cells. Granted to Curevac SE in 2024 with 21 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2039.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes an "active (immunostimulatory) composition" designed to treat prostate cancer. This composition contains at least one RNA, specifically an mRNA, that carries instructions for making specific prostate cancer proteins, called antigens. For example, ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1 describes an isolated mRNA encoding Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA). When this mRNA is introduced into a mammal, the body's cells use these instructions to produce the PSA protein. The immune system then recognizes this PSA protein as foreign and learns to attack cells that produce it, such as prostate cancer cells. Claim 16 further describes a composition with at least two different RNAs: one for PSA and another for a different prostate cancer antigen like PSMA, PSCA, or STEAP. This combination aims to create a stronger, more targeted immune response against the cancer.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover treatments for prostate cancer that do not involve an mRNA-based immunostimulatory composition.
- Does not cover mRNA compositions encoding only a single antigen other than PSA (e.g., an mRNA encoding only PSMA without PSA, as per ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 16).
- Does not cover compositions using DNA or other types of RNA (like siRNA or tRNA) to stimulate an immune response.
- Does not cover mRNA compositions that encode antigens not selected from PSA, PSMA, PSCA, or STEAP for prostate cancer treatment.
- Does not cover methods of treatment that do not involve administering an effective amount of the specified mRNA or composition.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever bit is using mRNA to deliver instructions for multiple specific prostate cancer antigens (like PSA and PSMA) simultaneously. This multi-antigen approach aims to make the immune response broader and more effective, reducing the chance of cancer cells escaping detection by changing just one antigen.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Moderna's mRNA cancer vaccine candidates
BioNTech's mRNA cancer vaccine candidates
CureVac's own mRNA therapeutic programs
Other experimental mRNA-based immunotherapies for various cancers
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is significant because it applies mRNA technology, which gained prominence with COVID-19 vaccines, to cancer treatment. Prostate cancer is a common cancer, and current treatments can have side effects. An mRNA-based approach aims to train the body's own immune system to specifically target and destroy cancer cells, potentially offering a more precise and less toxic treatment option. CureVac SE, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a key player in mRNA therapeutics, and this patent highlights their work in oncology.
Filed
August 22, 2019
Granted
July 30, 2024
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
CureVac SE, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines, including in oncology. Other major biotechnology companies like Moderna and BioNTech are also heavily invested in researching and developing mRNA cancer vaccines, building on similar principles of using mRNA to present tumor-specific antigens to the immune system. This area is a significant focus for many pharmaceutical and biotech firms.
Market impact
The filing and granting of patents like this contribute to the growing intellectual property landscape around mRNA therapeutics for cancer. This technology has the potential to create entirely new classes of cancer treatments, moving beyond traditional chemotherapy and radiation towards more targeted immunological approaches. While specific products are still in development, the broad impact could be a shift in how cancer is managed, potentially enabling personalized medicine where treatments are tailored to a patient's specific tumor antigens.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes an "active (immunostimulatory) composition" designed to treat prostate cancer. This composition contains at least one RNA, specifically an mRNA, that carries instructions for making specific prostate cancer proteins, called antigens. For example, Claim 1 describes an isolated mRNA encoding Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA). When this mRNA is introduced into a mammal, the body's cells use these instructions to produce the PSA protein. The immune system then recognizes this PSA protein as foreign and learns to attack cells that produce it, such as prostate cancer cells. Claim 16 further describes a composition with at least two different RNAs: one for PSA and another for a different prostate cancer antigen like PSMA, PSCA, or STEAP. This combination aims to create a stronger, more targeted immune response against the cancer.
The clever bit
The clever bit is using mRNA to deliver instructions for multiple specific prostate cancer antigens (like PSA and PSMA) simultaneously. This multi-antigen approach aims to make the immune response broader and more effective, reducing the chance of cancer cells escaping detection by changing just one antigen.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover treatments for prostate cancer that do not involve an mRNA-based immunostimulatory composition.
- Does not cover mRNA compositions encoding only a single antigen other than PSA (e.g., an mRNA encoding only PSMA without PSA, as per Claim 16).
- Does not cover compositions using DNA or other types of RNA (like siRNA or tRNA) to stimulate an immune response.
- Does not cover mRNA compositions that encode antigens not selected from PSA, PSMA, PSCA, or STEAP for prostate cancer treatment.
- Does not cover methods of treatment that do not involve administering an effective amount of the specified mRNA or composition.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
14/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$88K – $281K
Midpoint $176K · 13.0 yr remaining · industry ×3.0
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
21 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Lander, T., Hoerr, I., & Probst, J. (2024). Using mRNA to Teach the Body to Fight Prostate Cancer (U.S. Patent No. 12,048,738). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12048738/composition-for-treating-prostate-cancer-pca
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Using mRNA to Teach the Body to Fight Prostate Cancer cover?
This patent describes an active composition, often a vaccine, that uses messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct a mammal's cells to produce specific prostate cancer proteins, thereby training the immune system to attack prostate cancer cells.
Who owns patent US 12048738?
Curevac SE owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on August 22, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is significant because it applies mRNA technology, which gained prominence with COVID-19 vaccines, to cancer treatment. Prostate cancer is a common cancer, and current treatments can have side effects. An mRNA-based approach aims to train the body's own immune system to specifically target and destroy cancer cells, potentially offering a more precise and less toxic treatment option. CureVac SE, the assignee, is a key player in mRNA therapeutics, and this patent highlights their work in oncology.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover treatments for prostate cancer that do not involve an mRNA-based immunostimulatory composition.
Same assignee
More from Curevac SE
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