Just after the groundbreaking trials for the RSV vaccine, there are already more innovations on the horizon! Only a few days ago, a vaccination for HER2-positive breast cancer passed its human trials after more than twenty years of evaluation. What implications does this have for the cancer and vaccine worlds?
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Before we begin unpacking what this new vaccine has to offer, what exactly does it mean to have HER2-positive breast cancer?
To begin, we start with cancer itself. This disease, as many are aware, occurs when the body’s cells begin rapidly dividing in an uncontrollable fashion, often resulting in accumulation of cells in structures called tumors.
HER2-positive breast cancers are breast tumors that have higher than average levels of the HER2 protein receptors (pictured to the left). These proteins are crucial to allow breast cancer cells to quickly grow. Thus, patients with high levels of HER2 tend to have faster-growing tumors and cancers, which results in a more aggressive kind of breast cancer that occurs in about 20% of cases.
Plasmid DNA Vaccine
Led by Dr. Disis, the breast cancer vaccine uses a technique called the “plasmid DNA vaccine.” Such a vaccine harnesses the power of a plasmid--a small, circular strand of DNA that can usually be found in bacterial cells and exists distinct from the body’s chromosomes (pictured below). The plasmid vaccine contains a genetic sequence with instructions to induce certain bodily responses. It should be noted that plasmid DNA vaccines are NOT injections of bacteria, but rather utilize a form of DNA commonly found in those organisms.
So, how can a vaccine protect the body from a protein?
The vaccine’s 100mcg dose allows for the body to develop a strong cytotoxic immune response which generates the cells that are capable of killing cancer cells, like those with HER2. Specifically, these vaccines help the body increase its amount of ERBB2-specific type 1 T cells (quite a mouthful), which many past therapies could not achieve.
In exciting news, this vaccine has just passed an important milestone--with impressive results. The study cites that 80% of the experiments’ participants stayed cancer-free after their 10-year assessment period. However, the clinical phase of vaccine development is not yet over. Further “phase two” trials are now looking to be conducted, but early signs point to plausible success for this fledgling vaccination.
What kind of impact will this vaccine have?
In the United States, breast cancer is sadly one of the leading causes of death: studies estimated that almost 265,000 people are diagnosed each year. Across the world, around 7 million women are affected by breast cancer (though men can also be diagnosed, in much rarer cases). A potential vaccine as preventative care against cancer could literally affect millions on the globe and preemptively save countless lives.
In addition, these innovations prove the point that vaccinations are not only suited to protect against bacteria, viruses, and foreign agents. Vaccines may also be effective treatments for cancers and other diseases.
Stay tuned for more updates about this innovation, and several similar ones to come!
Resources:
Dr. Disis' Original Study:
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