Photo: Cultura Colectiva
A new breast cancer vaccine, developed by Anixa Biosciences in partnership with Cleveland Clinic, has just completed Phase 1 human trials and is moving into Phase 2—a step toward what scientists hope will become the world’s first preventative vaccine for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the deadliest and most difficult-to-treat. It targets a milk-related protein called alpha-lactalbumin, present during lactation which disappears in normal tissue afterward, training the immune system to treat alpha-lactalbumin as a threat—so the body can destroy those cells before they grow. In the Phase 1 trial, 16 women who had completed treatment for TNBC received three shots spaced two weeks apart; 12 showed strong T-cell responses. The Phase 2 trial will include 600 women, half receiving the vaccine and half a placebo. If the results confirm what the early trials suggest—strong immune activation, safety, and a reduction in recurrence—researchers hope to seek FDA approval within five years.
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