U.S.-Developed Vaccine 'Could Eliminate' Breast Cancer

A doctor from the Cleveland Clinic claims he developed a vaccine that could prevent breast cancer and save the lives of millions of women, Fox8.com reports.

The treatment was tested on mice and showed "overwhelmingly favorable results.”

Dr. Vincent Tuohy, who led the research at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, said there was evidence in the initial tests that the vaccine could prevent cancers from forming and stop the growth of existing tumors.

"We have designed a vaccine that is designed to prevent breast cancer the same way we vaccinate against polio and measles," Dr. Tuohy told Fox8.com. "I think the same strategy could be applied for a variety of different cancers and diseases as we age...and I can't really wait to see my dream and that vision come true."

Researchers injected the test vaccine into six mice that were specifically bred to be prone to breast cancer. None developed any signs of tumors.

A further six mice bred in the same way were injected with a placebo vaccine and all developed tumors.

The drug makes the immune system attack a particular protein found in most breast cancer cells and in the mammary tissues of breastfeeding women.

If clinical tests of the vaccine on humans are successful, women over 40 could be vaccinated against the disease. At that age, breast cancer risk begins to increase and women are less likely to be breastfeeding.
A study, published Sunday, reports Dr. Vincent Tuohy found that a single vaccination made up of antigen a-lactalbumin (lactation protein) prevents breast cancer tumors from forming, while stopping the growth of already existing tumors.

A spokesperson for the Cleveland Clinic says enrollment in human trials could begin as early as next year.

Women over the age of 40 or that have the breast cancer gene BRCA 1 or 2, will be vaccinated first because the vaccine targets a woman's lactation protein. Once the lactation protein is targeted, a woman's milk supply is affected.

According to the spokesperson, Dr. Tuohy found the target in an unhealthy tumor that is not typically found in a healthy person. He targeted a protein called a-lactalbumin, which is found in the majority of breast cancers, but not found in healthy women unless they are lactating. The antigen is injected which then searches and eliminates tumor growth.

In other words, the vaccine can help boost a woman's immune system to target a-lactalbumin without damaging healthy breast tissue.

The Doctor says he is confident in his findings and believes it will have a massive impact on fighting the disease.

"We have designed a vaccine that is designed to prevent breast cancer the same way we vaccinate against polio and measles," Tuohy told Fox 8 News, "I think the same strategy could be applied for a variety of different cancers and diseases as we age...and I can't really wait to see my dream and that vision come true."

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