The latest development in mRNA can help in treating the most aggressive form of Breast Cancer, triplenegative Breast cancer.
One of the reasons the COVID-19 vaccine was developed so quickly is the technology of developing mRNA was already available. The next step in this direction is the development of a viable vaccine for breast cancer. The Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute is going to start the trials of a new vaccine for triple-negative breast cancer.
Cleveland Clinic researchers have opened a novel study for a vaccine aimed at eventually preventing triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive and lethal form of the disease. As per the report by Cleveland Clinic, the phase I trial is designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose of the vaccine in patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer and to characterize and optimize the body’s immune response.
Further, the investigational vaccine targets a breast-specific lactation protein, α-lactalbumin, which is no longer found post-lactation in normal, ageing tissues but is present in the majority of triple-negative breast cancers. Activating the immune system against this “retired” protein provides pre-emptive immune protection against emerging breast tumours that express α-lactalbumin.
Notably, triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of Breast Cancer and the prognosis of this type of breast cancer is very poor. Triple-Negative breast cancer causes the highest fatality and the very fact that it is not caused by estrogen, progesterone, or the HER2 protein receptors makes it difficult to be detected with existing testing processes which are based upon these three protein receptors.
Digital representation of cancer cells
Hormonal Therapies And HER2 Targetted Therapies For Breast Cancer
The treatment for breast cancer is basically focused on hormonal therapies and HER2 targeted therapies. However, in triple-negative breast cancers, all three modalities of treatment are useless and often mastectomy is the only option available. The incidence of recurrence is also very high in these types of breast cancers.
It is here that the latest development in mRNA helps to take care of the most aggressive form of Breast Cancer, triple-negative Breast cancer. It is a whole new branch of medical technology. Most tumours are eliminated by the human body’s immune system.
mRNA Vaccine Aids Detection Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
However, cancers like triple-negative Breast Cancer keep growing while remaining incognito from immune detection or blocking immune activation. Hence, most Cancer Treatment regimens will be useless for this form of cancer. This vaccine aids the immune system to not only detect and attack things that they could not see before or those tumours which remain incognito to the body’s immune system.
This is an offshoot of the COVID-19 vaccine which makes certain parts of the Corona Virus visible which is known as a spike. Cancer vaccine researchers are looking for something similar in cancer and make a part of the virus or the spike visible to the body’s immune system.
Such vaccines will have various benefits in Cancer treatment. Number one it will treat patients who have tumours; secondly, it will help patients who have a high risk of cancer recurrence and finally in preventing cancer from occurring at all.
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