The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7488 p144
9 February 2008

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Experimental prostate cancer vaccine

Vaccination could form a key part of future prostate cancer prevention. Researchers have tested a vaccination strategy directed against prostate stem cell antigen — a potential therapeutic target — in prostate cancer-prone mice.

Although vaccinated mice still developed prostate tumours, they had a 90 per cent survival rate at 12 months. Survival in unvaccinated mice was as low as 20 per cent.

The researchers suggest that the strategy’s future success could lie in vaccinating men after they display rising prostate specific antigen but before they develop overt symptoms of prostate cancer (Cancer Research 2008;68:861).