Giving Thanks for the Breast Cancer Vaccine

By Vera Viner

As the holidays approach, it’s time to give thanks for the many blessings in this world. First and foremost, we must give thanks for Dr. Vincent Tuohy and his work on the first preventive breast cancer vaccine from the Cleveland Clinic.

Additionally, I’d like to thank all of the donors that funded Phase I clinical trials for the breast cancer vaccine. This year, a miracle happened. A ray of sunshine peeked through the clouds. On September 17, the Cleveland Clinic sent forth a press release through media channels that announced there are enough funds to begin Phase I clinical trials of the vaccine and that we are awaiting FDA approval before determining whether the breast cancer vaccine is safe and effective for use in women.

Cleveland Clinic Innovations created a spin-off company called Shield Biotech to work on preclinical development of the vaccine and to seek FDA approval for Phase I clinical trials.

“The mission of Shield Biotech will be to translate the scientific research on a breast cancer vaccine, led by Vincent Tuohy, Ph.D., at Cleveland Clinic, into a viable preventive alternative for the patients who may benefit,” Dr. Thomas Graham, Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Innovation Officer, said in the press release. “We believe that the vaccine has the potential to stop the more lethal forms of breast cancer, as well as inhibiting the recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer in women after they have recovered from their initial disease.”

The vaccine, which targets the protein alpha lactalbumin, was shown to be 100% effective in preventing breast cancer in mice bred to develop the disease (Nature Medicine, May 2010). It can also stop the growth of triple-negative breast cancer in mice, which is one of the most aggressive forms of this disease.

For Phase I trials, the vaccine would be used to vaccinate two different groups of women – those who were treated and cured of triple-negative breast cancer and those who are about to undergo a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy. Right now, our goal is to get this vaccine through FDA approval as quickly as possible.

As women are getting diagnosed with breast cancer every day and approximately 40,000 die of the disease in the U.S. every year, it is vital to get this vaccine through FDA approval and to move forward with determining whether it will prevent breast tumor formation. We are so close to finding out whether this vaccine can save countless lives!

Let us give thanks once more for the pure existence of the preventive breast cancer vaccine. Thank you Dr. Tuohy and the Cleveland Clinic research team. Thank you to all the donors. Thank you Dr. Ruddy and the countless number of women around the country for your efforts to get the word out about this vaccine. Without everyone’s participation, we wouldn’t be this close to putting an end to breast cancer. Thank you.