Breakthrough in Cancer Vaccine; Protection Works Best on Adolescent Girls, Say Researchers
Posted on: Monday, 19 December 2005, 09:00 CST
By LYNDSAY MOSS
A VACCINE to prevent cervical cancer appears to work best when given to girls aged 10 to 14, researchers said today.
The vaccine Cervarix, which targets the human papilloma virus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer, is being developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
New research has shown that the vaccine performs best when given to girls aged 10 to 14, rather than 15 to 25-year-olds.
GSK said that the vaccine was still as effective in the older age group but the immune response was two times higher in the younger girls. This means that the effects of the jab could last longer when given at an earlier age, and would mean booster jabs were less likely to be needed.
The research was presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Washington.
The vaccine targets two types of HPV which are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancer cases.
The researchers found that in the 15-25 age group the antibody response induced by the vaccine - meaning it could combat the virus - was similar to that found in an earlier trial published inThe Lancet. This showed that the vaccine provided complete protection against persistent infection with HPV types 16 and 18 in this group of women.
But the latest study found that there was a twofold higher antibody response in the younger age group compared with older women.
The researchers said this finding was encouraging, and might also be associated with a longer persistence of antibodies over time.
This would be important if HPV vaccination is given at an earlier age.
There has been some controversy over vaccinating youngsters against HPV, which is effectively a sexually transmitted infection.
HPV infection can occur at any time in women's lives from their first sexual contact, with a large proportion infected by the time they are 30.
But it is widely believed the benefits of preventing cervical cancer outweigh any concerns about vaccinating young girls.
And the latest research suggesting the vaccine is more effective in younger girls will add support for early vaccination.
Researcher Dr Anne Szarewski, a clinical consultant for Cancer Research UK, said: "These results are very encouraging. They suggest that, in pre-teens and adolescents, antibodies against the virus may last longer than in older women, as they are starting at a higher baseline level.
"This is an important factor if girls between 10 and 12 are to be vaccinated, since they may not need the protection for some time to come.
"A vaccine that could prevent around 70% of cervical cancers is a very exciting prospect for all women."
GSK's vaccine is currently being tested in clinical trials involving more than 30,000 women around the world
Source: Daily Post; Liverpool
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