Pitt Researchers Find Promising Candidate Protein For Cancer Prevention Vaccines

According to a study published last month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine learned that some healthy people naturally developed an immune response against a protein that is made in excess levels in many cancers, including colorectal, cervical, breast, and lung.

The study collected blood from 65 individuals and tested it for natural levels of the antibody.

This finding prompted the team of researchers to develop a vaccine that shows promise in preventing malignancies in high-risk individuals.  They found that immunity achieved by a vaccine could inhibit tumor growth and increase overall survival.

The vaccine, which has been tested on mice, succeeds because it boosts immune response against the abnormal production of the protein, known as "cyclin B1", which made it possible for them to avoid tumor development.

The researchers are working to launch a human clinical trial on the vaccine.