Vaccine to Prevent Breast Cancer

Vaccine to Prevent Breast Cancer

Researchers at the University of Arkansas will try to make a vaccine to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer within the next few months. If successful, the vaccine would not replace the role of therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation, but it can be a form of adjunctive therapy for the patient, mentioned by Laura Hutchins, chairman of the study, professor of hematology and oncology section. Thomas Kieber-Emmons, director of basic breast cancer research at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institutes, said that the vaccine has been developed since the last decade. He said the key is to understand how these molecules can work together to fight the disease.

Breast cancer cells are surrounded by molecules called antigens. The antigen is capable of triggering the production of antibodies that can fight cancer cells. However, carbohydrate antigens of cancer cells is not strong enough to induce an immune response. Kieber-Emmons and his team tried to create an alternative to develop antigen-like carbohydrates. Peptides are is a component containing two or more amino acids. Peptide vaccines stimulate the body to release antibodies directed to both peptides and carbohydrates that they develop in breast cancer cells.

This experiment consists of several phases. The first phase will last for 4-6 months and involve women with breast cancer that spreads very active, and wanta with breast cancer re-emerged after a remission. These women will receive five doses of the vaccine. The second phase will last about 1 year and include women who have never had breast cancer but is in remission and has a high risk for relapse. The woman should at least stop the chemotherapy for 6 months. The number of subjects of this study could not be determined.

Breast cancer is one of the biggest causes of death in women as well as the number 2 killer Hispanic white women, black, Asian, and American Indian. In 2004, 40,954 women died of breast cancer, according to the latest data the Centers for Disease Controls.

Sources: infokedokteran.com