Cleveland Clinic researchers advance in breast cancer vaccine development

Reporter: Amy Oshier
Published: Updated:

Researchers are making strides in the fight against breast cancer with a promising vaccine now entering phase two clinical trials.

This development could be a significant step toward preventing the disease.

Dr. Amit Kumar, CEO of Anixa Biosciences, is at the forefront of this groundbreaking research.

“We are using a protein which is something that shows up on breast cancer cells, and we’re teaching the immune system to target that protein,” said Kumar.

The vaccine, developed in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic, aims to train the body to recognize and destroy cancer cells. It consists of a series of three shots administered two weeks apart and has been under study for more than two decades.

“This is initially focused on triple-negative breast cancer, which is the most lethal form of breast cancer,” said Kumar. “However, we believe that this vaccine will operate on other types of breast cancer as well, because all of those breast cancers have a large percentage of cells producing this protein that we’re targeting.”

The initial trial involving 13 women showed promising results, with about 75% of patients experiencing a good immune response and no notable side effects.

“There were no headaches, no fevers, no abnormal laboratory values or organ issues, and that’s important, because if you’re going to give this vaccine one day, we believe to millions, to even billions of women, you’ve got to have something that doesn’t have any serious side effects,” said Kumar.

The upcoming phase of testing will compare the vaccine’s effectiveness to standard treatments, which often come with significant side effects. If successful, the vaccine could become available as a treatment option within the next five years.

The potential of cancer vaccines extends beyond breast cancer, with similar research underway for ovarian, lung, prostate, colon and even pancreatic cancers.

As the trials progress, the hope is that this vaccine will mark a significant advancement in cancer prevention and treatment.

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