Skin cancer vaccine

2004/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

Australia and Britain test a vaccine that can help fight melanoma. Since the first results have been satisfactory, it is soon intended to be tested with 100 patients and the study is expected to be completed by 2005.

Melanoma is the most widespread skin cancer and is relatively common in populations with white skin. For example, 2% of new cancer cases that appear annually in Britain are melanomas. That's why it's so interesting to get the vaccine.

Although melanoma is not an infectious disease, the immune system can act against cancer cells. These cells apparently produce a special protein (NY-ESO-1) and the immune system is able to recognize it. However, when the immune system knows the protein, cancer is very advanced.

It has now been shown that this protein can be synthesized and administered as a vaccine. Thus, the immune system acts earlier against cancer cells. In addition, if the research is successful, they intend to test other types of cancer that produce similar proteins, such as breast and prostate.