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Efficacious breast cancer vaccine on the anvil
by Jamie Anderson - May 31, 2010 - comments
The vaccine attacks a protein, alpha-lactalbumin that occurs in most breast cancers, and thereby boosts the immune system.
A new vaccine, developed by the scientists in the United States, has the potency to cut the dreaded breast cancer by as much as 70 percent.
The vaccine, which has proved effective in mice, will be tested on humans next year.
"If it works in humans the way it works in mice, this will be monumental. We could eliminate breast cancer,” said Dr Vincent Tuohy of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who created the vaccine.
Targets alpha-lactalbumin
The vaccine attacks a protein, alpha-lactalbumin that occurs in most breast cancers, and thereby boosts the immune system. One this protein is destroyed completely, fresh tumors don’t develop and the ones that are present shrink by up to half.
In the first phase, Women aged 40 and above will be vaccinated because once the lactation protein is targeted; the milk supply from the breasts is affected.
For the purpose of the study, one group of genetically cancer-prone mice were vaccinated with a vaccine with á-lactalbumin while the other group was vaccinated with a vaccine sans the antigen.
"We believe this will some day be used to prevent breast cancer in adult women in the same way that vaccines have prevented many childhood diseases," said Dr Tuohy.
None of the mice in the group that was vaccinated with á-lactalbumin contracted breast cancer.
"We believe this will some day be used to prevent breast cancer in adult women in the same way that vaccines have prevented many childhood diseases," said Dr Tuohy.'
Will take time
While the findings may have important implications for the prevention of breast cancer in the future, Caitlin Palframan, of charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer cautioned, “This is an early stage study and we look forward to seeing the results of large-scale clinical trials to find out if this vaccine would be safe and effective in humans."
All said, even if human trials begin next year as proposed, it will take several years for this vaccine to be termed as safe and effective in stopping the disease from developing in women.
The findings of the tests that have hitherto been conducted on mice have been published in the journal, 'Medicine.'
Breast cancer refers to the tumors originating from the breast tissue. Globally, this dreaded disease comprises 10.4 percent of all cancer incidences among women.
It is the second most common type of non-skin cancer, next only to lung cancer. This form of cancer is also the fifth most common cause of cancer death.