Prostate cancer vaccine a step closer

RESEARCHERS at the Cork Cancer Research Centre have made a global breakthrough by devising a potential DNA vaccine against prostate cancer.

Human clinical trials into the drug are due to start shortly, after the drug, which works to activate the immune system against prostate cancer, was successful in pre-clinical laboratory trials. The vaccine could go into clinical production, if the human trials are successful, and end up in pharmacies in seven years time.

Ireland has a higher incidence of prostate cancer than Britain – and a higher death rate. The incidence of prostate cancer here continues to grow due to an ageing male population.

According to the vaccine’s principal investigator, Dr Mark Tangney, the vaccine works by educating the immune system to seek out and kill any cell that has this prostate cancer cell on it.

“At present, localised prostate cancers are treated successfully with surgery and radiotherapy; however there are limited options for cures in secondary prostate cancer. However this vaccine will seek out and destroy any remaining cancerous prostate cancer cells that may have leaked to other parts of the body,” he said.

The development of immunotherapy in malignant diseases is an active area of research and Dr Tangney says it is “plausible” similar vaccines could be developed for other forms of cancer.

The research was carried out by Dr Tangney and his colleague Dr Safraz Ahmad who recently received an award from the IJMS Doctors Awards for his research in this area.

Prostate cancer is one of the principal medical problems facing the male population. Here, about 1,900 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed each year and 700 patients die of the disease per year.