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Posted on Jan 17, 2004, 3 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Recent study results have revealed that an experimental cancer vaccine has reduced the activity of tumors in both mice and rabbits. Research has shown that a molecule called Her-2/neu is overexpressed in 20% to 30% of breast and prostate cancers, thus meaning that Her-2/neu could prove to be a useful target for the prevention and treatment of certain cancers.
Recent study results have revealed that an experimental cancer vaccine has reduced the activity of tumors in both mice and rabbits. Research has shown that a molecule called Her-2/neu is overexpressed in 20% to 30% of breast and prostate cancers, thus meaning that Her-2/neu could prove to be a useful target for the prevention and treatment of certain cancers. Dr Ursula Wiedermann from the University of Vienna, Austria and colleagues carried out a series of experiments on a vaccine designed to provoke the body to produce anti-Her-2/neu antibodies. Results showed that blood taken from mice and rabbits vaccinated with either a number of individual tumor proteins, or with a combination of proteins, contained significant amounts of an antibody that directly targeted Her-2/neu. Furthermore, no signs of toxicity or organ inflammation were seen in mice given a total of 11 vaccinations at 21-day intervals. According to study leader Wiedermann, such a vaccine could be used to prevent cancers in high-risk patients, and possibly used in conjunction with chemotherapy to prevent the spread of cancer in patients already suffering from the disease.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: International Journal of Cancer. 2003;107:976-983.
