FDA Approves Phase I Clinical Trial For SKCC Breast Cancer Vaccine

If there's a potential cure somewhere for anything...a vaccine for breast cancer would be at the top of the list...BD

First, it is designed to boost the response of the aged immune system by replacing a potent immunostimulatory signal which is missing in older people. Health experts estimate that only 20 percent of individuals over the age of 50 develop immunity from standard vaccines, such as common flu vaccines. Women with breast cancer are often immune-impaired for several reasons. The average breast cancer patient is 50-60 years old. Additionally, those with recurrent disease are frequently immune-suppressed both by previous chemotherapy and by their disease burden.
Secondly, the target of the vaccine, MUC-1, is part of cancers of the breast, colon, lung, ovary and prostate where its over expression predicts for shortened survival and resistance to therapy. The MUC-1 in the cancer cells has a structure different from that in normal cells, making it a tumor specific target. Moreover, the function of MUC-1 changes in the cancer cell so as to make the cancer more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation.