Scientists at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic have a new vaccine in the works that they hope will prove capable of preventing breast cancer. The vaccine introduces a protein found in most breast cancers but not in healthy women, except during lactation. As is the goal of vaccines, the introduction of this protein will allow the body's immune system to recognize and target cells expressing the protein. This would allow cancerous tissue to be destroyed without damaging surrounding healthy breast tissue.
As of yet, the vaccine has only been tested in mice--the FDA will require much more rigorous testing before trials can begin in humans. However, the vaccine was able to significantly prevent the occurrence of breast cancer in the mice. Further experiments need to be done, but the hope is that one day this vaccine can be offered to women at higher risk for breast cancer, namely women over 40 and those with a genetic predisposition or family history. Dr. Vincent Tuohy, the study's principal investigator and an immunologist at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute believes it will take at least 10 years before the vaccine is approved, probably even more.
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