A Vaccine for Breast Cancer
The latest breast cancer wonder drug is a vaccine to prevent breast cancer developing in women in the same way that vaccines have stopped many childhood diseases. Tests on mice had incredible success and it will be tested on women as early as next year. The jab boosts the immune system and helps the body to destroy the protein before it appears so tumours don’t form.
The drug targets the protein alphalactalbumin that is found in most breast cancer tumours.
Lead scientist Dr Vincent Tuohy, of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, said: “If it works in humans the way it works in mice this will be monumental. We could eliminate breast cancer.”
His team, who were funded by the US government, tested the vaccine on rats that were genetically prone to breast cancer. Those which did not have the jab developed breast cancers by the age of 10 months but all of those that were immunised remained cancer-free.
There will be two trials. One will look at the drug’s ability to shrink tumours in women with advanced breast cancer. The second would focus on younger women whose family history puts them at a higher risk of developing the disease.
The need for larger studies on more women means it will be at least 10 years before the jab hits the market.
This article was taken from www.dailyrecord.co.uk.
Nikki Mattei