Potential Use of Vaccines in the Primary Prevention of Breast Cancer in High-Risk Patients |
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Authors: | Matteo Lazzeroni Davide Serrano |
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Institution: | Division of Cancer Prevention and Genetics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy |
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Abstract: | Cancer vaccines are an emerging therapeutic and prophylactic modality that may play a more important role in cancer prevention and treatment in the future. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are designed to generate a targeted, immune-mediated antitumor response. Successful prophylactic vaccines are those against oncogenic viral infections, such as the human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. However, a tough challenge for the majority of tumor vaccines is the self-nature of tumor antigens. Ongoing studies are investigating methods to enhance vaccine strategies including immune-modulating agents. The present review analyzes the potential use of vaccines in the primary prevention of breast cancer, focusing on the recent extension of vaccine target selection to self-proteins that are overexpressed during the early stages of tumor development but whose expression no longer occurs as we age, a feature that may avoid clinically significant autoimmune sequelae. |
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Keywords: | Vaccines Breast cancer prevention |
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