Researchers Explore Stem-Cell Cancer Vaccine

Researchers are hopeful about a stem-cell-based cancer vaccine.

From a press release about research released yesterday in Prague:

The findings suggest that it could be possible to develop embryonicstem cell vaccines that prevent cancers in humans, such as hereditarybreast and colon cancer and lung cancer caused by smoking or otherenvironmental factors.

Professor John Eaton told a newsbriefing at the EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets andCancer Therapeutics...: "We foundthat the vaccinations were between 80-100% effective in preventingtumour growth in mice that were subsequently challenged withtransplanted Lewis lung carcinoma, and it was between 60-90% effectivein mice subsequently exposed to carcinogens that cause lung cancer.

But don't get your hopes up or assume you can keep puffing away at cancer sticks because a cure is around the corner. Professor Eaton, who has a nice way with words, had this caution:

"Cancer has been prevented and even cured in mice hundreds of times. Atpresent, all I can say is that so far it looks good, and that, unlesssomething unexpected happens, this strategy might some day be appliedto humans at high risk for development of cancer. The likelihood ofthis happening is more a question for the US Food and Drug Agency thanfor us. Given their stringent regulations I consider it quite likelythat, by the time this is tried in humans, I will be pushing updaisies."