New vaccine could target aggressive form of breast cancer, study finds

According to a new report, even though there is no known cure for breast cancer, scientists are working on drugs that could be essential to treat this disease.

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Researchers at the Mayo Clinic recently conducted a study to develop a vaccine that can eliminate cancer cells and the possible recurrence of the disease.

The vaccine helps the body resist the return of the human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) receptor, a protein that can cause breast cancer. It should be used with trastuzumab, an immunostimulatory drug given to women after HER2 tumor removal surgery. If successful, researchers believe that the vaccine could prevent cancer from reappearing and spreading to other parts of the body.

Here's how it works:

Vaccination in combination with trastuzumab works by activating the B cells of the immune system, which attack breast tumor cells with HER2. The process then triggers other groups of cells so that they promote resistance to recurrence of the disease.

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"The vaccine is a prevention strategy to discourage cancer reform," said co-author Keith Knutson in a statement. "T cells and B cells of the body are synergistic for a strong and lasting immune response."

Analysts have discovered that the drug can cause mild reactions, such as fatigue. For their future research, they hope to know how long the immunity will last and whether it can be used to target other cancer cells.

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"Standard approaches to treating cancer treat the existing disease," Knutson said. "Our goal is to develop a strategy to deal with recurrence. We have good medications, such as trastuzumab, that can interfere with the recurrence of HER2 breast cancer. Our hope is that a vaccine that engages many aspects of the body's immune system will build on these successes. "

The researchers received a US $ 11 million grant from the US Department of Defense for further exploration work.