University of Cincinnati researchers develop oral breast cancer vaccine

A research team from the University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute recently developed a new oral vaccine that produces a novel immune system defense against cancer cells, particularly against the recurrence of breast cancer. Jason Steel, the first author of the study, and his team of UC and National Institutes of Health researchers developed the oral breast cancer vaccine from a recombinant adeno-associated virus. Unlike prior cancer vaccines developed from bacteria, AAV is a virus that has minimal negative effects on human health. “AAV is special because the virus survives the stomach,” Steel said. “Normally, you introduce a virus by mouth and it is broken down in the stomach. This virus is resistant to breakdown, which opened up the possibility of administering it orally as a cancer vaccine.” In a preclinical animal study published a month ago  in the journal Molecular Therapy, the researchers found that the AAV vaccine produced both short-term and long-term...