| | | | | So Tuohy and his colleagues created a vaccine that |
| A vaccine to prevent breast cancer being developed | | | | seeks alpha-lactalbumin, which is a protein found in |
| by Cleveland Clinic researchers has shown | | | | the majority of breast cancers, but is not found in |
| "overwhelmingly favorable results" in animals and | | | | healthy women except when they breast-feed. The |
| could be on its way to conquering the disease that | | | | vaccine would destroy healthy breast tissue of |
| kills more than 40,000 American women each year. | | | | women who are lactating, so these women likely |
| Researchers led by Vincent Tuohy, an immunologist | | | | would not get the vaccine. |
| at the Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, have found | | | | Because the protein is linked to lactation, the |
| that a single vaccination with the antigen | | | | strategy behind the new vaccine would be to |
| alpha-lactalbumin prevents breast cancer tumors from | | | | vaccinate women who are over 40 years old — |
| forming in mice and inhibits the growth of existing | | | | when the risk of breast cancer begins to rise and |
| tumors. | | | | pregnancy becomes less likely. Younger women at |
| Enrollment in human trials could begin next year. If | | | | heightened risk for breast cancer could consider the |
| successful, the vaccine would be the first to prevent | | | | vaccine as an alternative to prophylactic mastectomy. |
| breast cancer and could point the way to vaccines | | | | "Most attempts at cancer vaccines have targeted |
| for other cancers. It also could be a huge commercial | | | | viruses or cancers that have already developed," said |
| success for the Clinic, which typically licenses or spins | | | | Dr. Joseph Crowe, director of the Clinic's Breast |
| off its discoveries to companies that take them to | | | | Center, in the release. "Dr. Tuohy is not a breast |
| market. | | | | cancer researcher, he's an immunologist, so his |
| "We believe that this vaccine will someday be used | | | | approach is completely different — attacking the |
| to prevent breast cancer in adult women in the same | | | | tumor before it can develop. It's a simple concept, |
| way that vaccines have prevented many childhood | | | | yet one that has not been explored until now." |
| diseases," said Tuohy, the study's principal | | | | A year ago, Tuohy, who studies autoimmune |
| investigator, in a press release. "If it works in humans | | | | diseases such as multiple sclerosis, was surprised |
| the way it works in mice, this will be monumental. | | | | when the National Institutes of Health backed |
| We could eliminate breast cancer." | | | | development of his breast cancer vaccine after his |
| Tuohy's research will be published online today at and | | | | first request. Usually, it takes several requests to land |
| in the June 10 issue of the Nature Medicine journal. | | | | grants in the neighborhood of $1.3 million. |
| In Tuohy's study, cancer-prone mice were vaccinated | | | | Several clinical trials are underway for breast cancer |
| — half with a vaccine containing alpha-lactalbumin | | | | vaccines. The University of Arkansas is working on a |
| and half with a vaccine that did not contain the | | | | therapeutic vaccine that tricks the body into |
| antigen. Not one of the mice vaccinated with | | | | producing cancer-fighting antigens, while Generex |
| alpha-lactalbumin developed breast cancer, while all of | | | | Biotechnology has had successful early phase trials |
| the other mice did. | | | | with breast cancer patients on its therapeutic vaccine. |
| The Food and Drug Administration has approved | | | | But few if any researchers appear to be going for a |
| cancer-preventing vaccines for cervical and liver | | | | prophylactic vaccine — one that prevents cancer. |
| cancers — both act on viruses that cause the | | | | Tuohy envisions an adult vaccination program like |
| cancers, not on cancer formation. | | | | those that vaccinate children against diseases like |
| In developing his vaccine, Tuohy solved the quandary | | | | polio and measles. |
| of targeting cancer — an overdevelopment of the | | | | "When you are an adult, you could be vaccinated |
| body's own cells — rather than a foreign | | | | against adult diseases like breast cancer, ovarian |
| substance, such as a virus. Vaccinating against a virus | | | | cancer, prostate cancer and so forth. Maybe even |
| destroys the virus, but vaccinating against a person's | | | | Alzheimer's," Tuohy said. |
| own cells destroys healthy cells. | | | | <!--WISESTAMP_SIG_START--><! |