The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has started its clinical trial into the safety of a breast cancer vaccine.
Phase 1 of the trial includes three patients. Eventually, 18 patients will be involved in the trial, which should wrap up in 2012. Once the testing phase is complete, the hospital will expand the study to 50 patients.
The vaccine was developed by Dr. Thomas Kieber-Emmons, a professor of pathology and holder of the Josetta Wilkins Chair of Breast Cancer Research at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
Essentially, the vaccine would use a peptide to mimic a carbohydrate in order to trigger an immune response to attack the cancer cells. The surface of a cancer cell is covered with carbohydrates.
“It’s not quite a bait and switch, but you’re trying to elicit a set of responses you just don’t see with carbohydrates. The true test will come during the clinical trial, but we anticipate our little deception will work to the advantage of breast cancer patients,” Kieber-Emmons said.
UAMS, AmbioPharm, Advantar and NextPharma conducted weekly production and development meetings throughout 2009 and 2010 to facilitate the development and manufacture of the material being used in the clinical trial.