Moffitt Cancer Center researchers have discovered a promising new vaccine strategy for treating a specific type of breast cancer. The innovative approach targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive, estrogen receptor-negative (HER2-positive, ER-negative) breast cancer and has shown encouraging results in a recent pilot study.
The study enrolled 30 patients with stage 2 and stage 3 HER2-positive, ER-negative breast cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the tumor. Researchers gave the HER2-directed dendritic cell vaccine before chemotherapy to determine its effects on immune response and treatment outcomes. The results showed that patients receiving the vaccine had significant immune activity, with complete tumor disappearance observed in a notable percentage of cases.
“Our findings suggest that the dendritic cell vaccine can boost the body’s immune response against tumors, potentially improving the effectiveness of chemotherapy,” said Hatem Soliman, M.D., medical oncologist in the Breast Oncology Department at Moffitt and lead author of the study. “This approach may offer a new way to enhance breast cancer treatment and patient outcomes.”
The study also found that injecting the vaccine directly into the tumor led to greater immune cell activity within the tumor environment. This could help refine future immunotherapy strategies for breast cancer and other types of cancer.
By H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Article can be accessed on: MedicalXpress