Breast cancer break through as new vaccine shows ‘promise’ in treating aggressive form

A significant breakthrough has been achieved in the field of breast cancer treatment, as a new vaccine has shown promising results in treating an aggressive form of the disease. A clinical trial conducted in the US focused on women with triple-negative breast cancer who were administered an experimental vaccine aimed at preventing tumour recurrence. Developed by experts at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the vaccine is known as a neoantigen DNA vaccine and has demonstrated positive outcomes in a clinical trial, a first in breast cancer research, with the study published in Genome Medicine.

The vaccine was well-tolerated by patients and stimulated significant immune responses. In the trial, 18 participants received standard treatment along with three doses of the personalized vaccine, targeting specific tumour mutations to activate immune cells against cancerous cells. Impressively, 14 patients showed positive immune responses to the vaccine, and 16 remained free of tumours after a three-year period. While the main focus of the trial was on the vaccine’s safety rather than its effectiveness due to the absence of a control group, the researchers compared the results to historical data of similar patients undergoing standard care, providing valuable insights.

Professor William Gillanders, the senior author of the study, expressed optimism about the results, noting that they exceeded expectations. Despite acknowledging the limitations of the analysis, he highlighted ongoing randomized controlled trials to further evaluate the vaccine strategy. The aggressive nature of triple-negative breast cancer, which currently lacks targeted therapies, underscores the significance of developing effective treatments for such cases. Patients with residual tumours after initial chemotherapy, deemed at high risk of recurrence, were eligible for the trial.

The research team’s approach involves analysing tumour tissue to identify genetic mutations and altering proteins in cancer cells to enable the immune system to target tumours while sparing healthy tissue. A software tool developed by the team assists in selecting neoantigens—altered proteins from tumours that are likely to trigger immune responses. The vaccine for each patient included an average of 11 neoantigens, tailored to their specific tumour. The software tools are accessible to cancer researchers globally and aim to support the design of cancer vaccines.

Several ongoing research projects at Washington University School of Medicine focus on cancer vaccines, with trials exploring personalized vaccines in combination with immunotherapies. Professor Gillanders expressed hope for the potential of neoantigen vaccines in treating aggressive cancers and improving outcomes for patients. The progress in developing personalized vaccines marks a significant step forward in breast cancer treatment, offering new hope for patients battling this challenging disease.