Duke Cancer Institute’s HER2 Breast Cancer Vaccine
A recent publication from Duke Health states that tumor progression in some women affected by HER2 breast cancer had slowed in a phase 1 clinical trial conducted by Duke Cancer Institute.
This particular protein is the force behind a form of breast cancer. It is sometimes referred to as HER2/neu or ERBB2 (Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2). HER2 is a gene from which the protein (or receptors) is created. The HER2-negative breast cancers are less aggressive than the HER2-positive breast cancers and your treatment options vary with each.
In the phase 1 clinical trial at Duke, 22 women with repeated overexpressions of the protein showed signs of tumor growth coming to a standstill. When the vaccine was used on mice, the tumors receded, which prompted the clinical trials in human testing lasting from 2012 – 2015.
The testing has shown great progress and hope for future improved survival rates.