Breast cancer vaccine possibility to be studied through grant

The National Breast Cancer Coalition recently awarded a nearly $200,000 seed grant to 2 researchers who will study the viral connection to breast cancer. The research will assess the infectious agent in breast tumors compared to normal breast tissue, which could lead to a preventive vaccine.

The seed grant is part of NBCC’s Artemis Project for a preventive vaccine, which brings together a collaborative group of advocates and scientists to take a systematic yet broad approach to develop a breast cancer vaccine within 5 years.

The most recent seed grants were awarded to Paul Ewald, MD, professor of biology and director of Program on Disease Evolution at the University of Louisville, and Vladimir Belyi, MD, assistant professor at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

“Dr Ewald’s work in the evolution of infectious disease is truly innovative and visionary. That’s the kind of approach and exploration that will help us get closer to knowing how to prevent breast cancer,” said NBCC President Fran Visco in a press release.

NBCC also previously awarded a seed grant to Paul Spellman, MD, and Joe Gray, MD, with Oregon Health and Science University.  Spellman and Gray will identify possible vaccine targets using existing and developing human genomic data within different breast cancer subtypes.

NBCC has set a deadline of January 1, 2020, for knowing how to end breast cancer. The organization’s “Breast Cancer Deadline 2020” is a strategic plan of action that focuses on primary prevention, stopping women from getting breast cancer, and preventing metastasis.