Within 8 Years
A vaccine for breast cancer, developed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, eliminated cancer cells in its first human subject. The favorable trial paves the way for the ground-breaking treatment to be available within the decade. Its purpose is to stop the recurrence of breast and ovarian cancers. It will also prevent cancer from developing in the first place.
Mayo Clinic investigator, Dr. Keith L. Knutson, Ph.D., said in an interview:
It is reasonable to say that we could have a vaccine within eight years that may be available to patients through their pharmacy or their doctor. We know that they’re safe. We know that they stimulate the immune system [to fight cancer].
We know that they have had a positive impact on ovarian and breast cancer. We haven’t seen any adverse events that are causing problems other than irritation in the area similar to a flu vaccination. Now we have to convince the FDA, through solid, rigorous clinical trials that we’re seeing what we’re seeing.
The Florida Woman
Lee Mercker, from Jacksonville, was a healthy woman living an active lifestyle. Yet, somehow, she was diagnosed with DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ) stage zero, a very early stage of breast cancer. Completely shocked and terrified, she went straight to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville to start treatment.
The doctor offered her the opportunity to participate in a trial of an experimental vaccine that would not only fight off the early-stage breast cancer but also prevent future occurrence. She signed up for it immediately and became the first patient to participate in a clinical trial for the first-of-its-kind cancer vaccine… and it worked!
The vaccine activated the immune system to attack cancer. Dr. Knutson explained:
We saw some evidence of elimination of the tumor, as well as some evidence of the immune system crowding in.
The screenings showed that Mercker was cancer-free, but she wanted to be sure that the cancerous cells were entirely out of the body, so she underwent a double mastectomy as well. The breast tissue removed will be used for further research in the lab.
How It Works
The vaccine works by arousing the immune system. It triggers the body’s natural defense mechanism to fight and destroy cancer cells. So, the same way your body fights off a cold, it’ll fight off cancer. For instance, you’ll catch a cold, and then your immune system will know how to battle it then clear it away. The same thing applies to how your body will tackle cancer with the help of this vaccine.
Knutson explained:
If you develop a cold or something like that, you do develop an immune response, and that actually doesn’t necessarily prevent the disease, but it keeps it at bay and it helps clear it.
Mayo Clinic Surgeon Dr. Amy Degnim added:
If we’re able to have the immune system trained to recognize abnormal cells, or cancerous (or) precancerous cells, then maybe the immune system can eliminate them before they even develop.
The breast cancer vaccine is designed to target HER2 protein because breast cancer cells make too much of it, resulting in a tumor. The vaccine coaches the immune system to recognize this HER2 protein as foreign and destroy it.
Future Plans
The clinic is currently testing the vaccine on two new patients. They are also looking for more participants. For now, the research is still in the first phase. It will be a few years yet before a phase 3 trial.
The next new trial the Mayo Clinic wants to conduct will involve healthy patients, to see if it works in preventing breast cancer from ever developing at all. Aside from that, the Mayo Clinic has several other vaccines in the works aimed at preventing other types of cancer.
You can watch an interview with Lee Mercker below, where she tells all about the experience.
