The Pink Vaccine

During the summer of 2010, Dr. Vincent Tuohy of the Cleveland Clinic and his team of researchers published their findings about the first preventive breast cancer vaccine in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine. The Pink Vaccine was found to be 100 percent effective in preventing breast cancer in mice that were bred to develop the disease. In the control group, all of the mice developed breast cancer while those who received the vaccination did not.

Tuohy’s team used the protein alpha-lactalbumin as the primary target for his vaccine and found that it both prevented breast cancer and stopped the growth of already existing tumors in animal models. Alpha-lactalbumin is found in the majority of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer, but not in healthy women other than those who are nursing. The plan would be to vaccinate women who are past child-bearing age.

The Next Steps

The next step to with this research is to start clinical trials and determine whether the Pink Vaccine is as safe and effective in women as it is in mice. The only problem that’s been standing in the way of Dr. Vincent Tuohy’s research is the lack of funding. Major breast cancer organizations have turned down his request for funds. The Susan G. Komen Foundation, for instance, has turned down Tuohy’s request three separate times! Avon as well as the Department of Defense also refuse to fund further research on Tuohy’s vaccine. However, despite these setbacks, a strong and growing grassroots effort by women around the globe has been developing to fund the preventive breast cancer vaccine. The Breast Health and Healing Foundation supports the research behind the Pink Vaccine. All of the donations that our Foundation receives will be going directly to funding the research behind the preventive breast cancer vaccine and the human mammary tumor virus.