Animal tests show CEL-SCI's novel vaccine can prevent and treat breast cancer

USA-based drug developer CEL-SCI Corp (NYSE MKT: CVM) says that its longstanding collaboration with Northeast Ohio Medical University has produced a new investigational breast cancer vaccine which prevents and treats a HER-2/neu expressing breast cancer tumor in a mouse model of the disease.

In animal tests this vaccine has shown: (1) reduction of number of tumors; (2) reduction of tumor mass; (3) absence of tumor in lymph nodes or peritoneal membranes; and (4) changes in angiogenesis. Kenneth Rosenthal, of Northeast Ohio Medical University presented these findings in detail at the GTCBIO Immune Responses in the Tumor Microenvironment Workshop last week in San Diego, California.

Dr Rosenthal, with colleagues at the University in collaboration with Daniel Zimmerman, CEL-SCI’s senior vice president of research, cellular immunolgy, designed and tested the LEAPS (Ligand Epitope Antigen Presentation System) technology vaccine. J-HER chemically links the J-ICBL (immune cell binding ligand) peptide to a minimal antigenic peptide (epitope) from the HER-2/neu protein, a protein present in most human breast tumor cells. This protein is the target for different types of immunotherapy with sales of many billions of dollars. Blocking this receptor protein with an antibody causes the tumor cells to commit suicide (apoptosis).