Breast cancer is the most prevalent among women and one of the main causes of death in Mexico; In 2020 alone, almost 8,000 women died from this condition. For years, doctors and scientists have struggled to combat this terrible disease.
Fortunately, it seems that it is going in the right direction, since a vaccine against this type of cancer has already begun its phase of trials with people.
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Medical Center, in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Anixa Biosciences, began trials with people to test the safety and efficacy of a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) vaccine, which has a high risk of recurrence and fewer options for treatment than other types of breast cancer. This first phase will focus on determining the necessary dose for patients who have TNBC in its early stages and on optimizing the body’s immune response.
The studies on which the vaccine is based were led by Dr. Vincent Tuohy, who has dedicated his life to the development of vaccines against cancer, such as that of the ovaries and uterus. In addition, it has previously shown that this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing breast cancer in mice.
How does it work?
The α-lactalbumin protein is normally expressed in the mammary glands of women only during the latter part of pregnancy and during lactation. This protein has also been found in tissues affected by this type of cancer, since tumors can synthesize it even when it is not required. Therefore, the vaccine targets this protein. Dr Thomas Budd, one of the trial’s principal investigators, explained how it worked:
The general idea is that α-lactalbumin could serve as something we call an immune target, where we can stimulate the immune response to attack cells that synthesize this protein.
In addition, the vaccine contains another component called an immune adjuvant, which essentially makes the immune system pay attention to α-lactalbumin and the tag to ensure an immune response and thus prevent an emerging tumor from growing. In this way, the immune system is “trained” to act against tumors that contain this protein.
Who can participate in the study?
People who wish to participate in this clinical trial must meet the following characteristics:
- Being a healthy person, in general
- Have completed treatment for TNBC, but are at risk of the cancer coming back
- Not taking medications whose side effects include breastfeeding or milk production
This first phase is looking for between 18 and 24 participants, and is expected to be completed in September 2022. About this phase, Dr. Budd said the following:
This clinical trial is the first study in a long way that we hope will lead to a vaccine that prevents at least one type of breast cancer. Our long-term goal is to see if the vaccine can prevent breast cancer, especially the most aggressive types, before it occurs.
Although it is still too early to know if this vaccine will have good results and if it will one day be available to the general public, it is definitely very good news and we hope that the results will be positive.
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