Peptide Vaccine Fights Off Breast Tumors with Aid of Bacteria-mimicking Agents

With the help of immune system-stimulating molecules that mimic bacterial components, researchers have used a type of cancer vaccine to both delay and prevent breast tumors in mice. The strategy, they say, holds promise for the future use of peptide vaccines in women who are at high risk for developing breast cancer. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, University of South Florida, and University of Torino employed substances called toll-like receptor agonists to help a synthetic peptide vaccine raise the immune system response against breast cancer tumors. Simultaneously, they used antibodies to blunt other aspects of the immune system that might interfere with a strong killer T cell response, improving the effectiveness of the vaccine. In the February 1 issue of Cancer Research, the researchers report that their strategy was effective in preventing spontaneous tumors in transgenic mouse models for breast cancer, even when the vaccine was given when the mice already had early stage cancer......... Whole article: "www.bio.com":[ http://www.bio.com/realm/research.jhtml?realmId=7&cid=25800045]

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