This is a promising step in the right direction for those at a high risk for aggressive breast cancer.
https://www.cleveland.com...cancer-vaccine-trial.htmlCLEVELAND, Ohio—The Cleveland Clinic, together with California-based pharmaceutical company Anixa Biosciences, is embarking on a clinical trial for a new breast cancer vaccine. If approved, researchers hope it will protect women at high risk for developing an aggressive and lethal form of breast cancer using the patient’s own immune response.
The vaccine targets a specific type of breast cancer referred to as “triple-negative,” so-named because the cells lack all three of the common hormonal markers that are characteristically found on breast cancer cells: receptors for estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor or HER2.
Therapies already exist that can target these three breast cancer markers, but in their absence, the disease becomes more difficult to treat and patient outcomes are worse. As a result, triple-negative breast cancers are considered one of the most aggressive and lethal forms of the disease.
The vaccine works by targeting a protein that is normally found in the cells of the breast during lactation. This protein, called α-lactalbumin, is no longer found after lactation in normal, aging tissues but is present in the majority of triple-negative breast cancers. If breast cancer develops, the vaccine is designed to prompt the immune system to attack the tumor and keep it from growing.
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