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A breast cancer vaccine could be closer to reality, according to Cleveland Clinic, as its researchers have announced some encouraging results.

At the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer earlier this month in Texas, researchers shared updated findings from a study of a new vaccine designed to target triple-negative breast cancer, a press release stated.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive type of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

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TNBC grows and spreads faster than less aggressive types and is more difficult to treat.

The breast cancer vaccine that Cleveland Clinic is studying is the first that aims to prevent triple-negative breast cancer from developing, according to G. Thomas Budd, M.D., principal investigator of the phase 1 study at Cleveland Clinic’s Cancer Institute.

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The vaccine uses a protein found in breast tissue that is dedicated to lactation — called α-lactalbumin — which is no longer created after a woman is past childbearing age, Budd told Fox News Digital.

“Employing a retired lactation protein as a breast cancer vaccine autoantigen made sense because most breast cancers occur in women ages 40 and older, and the vast majority of those women no longer breastfeed,” he said.

A researcher conducts a breast cancer vaccine-related experiment in a lab at Cleveland Clinic. The vaccine uses a protein found in breast tissue that is dedicated to lactation, called α-lactalbumin. (Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic)

This protein was selected because it is no longer found in detectable amounts in normal, aging breast tissues, but is expressed at high levels in more than 70% of triple-negative breast cancers, Budd shared.

“The investigational vaccine represents a potential new way to combat breast cancer,” he said.

“It represents a paradigm shift in how we approach cancer care — focusing on prevention rather than treatment after the fact.”

In the Phase 1 trial, the researchers found that the investigational vaccine was “generally well-tolerated and produced an immune response in most patients,” according to a Cleveland Clinic press release. 

The team also presented the vaccine’s side effects, highest tolerated dose and immunologic effects, the release stated.

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The Phase 1 trial, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, was conducted at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus in partnership with Anixa Biosciences, Inc., a California-based biotechnology company focused on treating and preventing cancer. 

It included 26 patients in three separate groups.

A pharmacy research technican demonstrates a mock preparation of the new breast cancer vaccine. (Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic)

These findings come after nearly two decades of research by the late Vincent Tuohy, PhD, of Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Budd noted.  

Next year, Anixa plans to launch a Phase 2 study to gauge the vaccine’s effectiveness.

“Our hope is that future studies will demonstrate that the antigen-specific T cell responses we observed translate to the prevention of triple-negative breast cancer recurrence,” Budd said.

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Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier called the development of breast cancer vaccines “groundbreaking and exciting.”

“It represents a paradigm shift in how we approach cancer care — focusing on prevention rather than treatment after the fact,” Saphier, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. 

A vial of the breast cancer vaccine is pictured in the lab. “The entire cancer community eagerly awaits further advancements in this area, as it could usher in a new era of cancer prevention strategies,” a doctor said. (Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic)

“If successful, such vaccines could significantly reduce the incidence of breast cancer, saving countless lives and reducing the emotional, physical and financial burdens associated with cancer treatment.”

Breast cancer vaccine development is particularly important for high-risk individuals, the doctor noted — “but also presents a potential for broader public health benefits, helping to ease the societal and economic impact of cancer.”

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Added Saphier, “The entire cancer community eagerly awaits further advancements in this area, as it could usher in a new era of cancer prevention strategies.”

Dave Coulier, 65, announced on Tuesday that he has stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The actor and comedian, best known for his role as Joey Gladstone in “Full House” from 1987 to 1995, said he was diagnosed in October after experiencing an upper respiratory infection caused by major swelling in his lymph nodes. 

“Three days later, my doctors called me back, and they said, ‘We wish we had better news for you, but you have non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and it’s called B cell, and it’s very aggressive,’” he told People.

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What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (also known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, NHL or lymphoma) is a blood cancer that originates in the white blood cells (lymphocytes) that are part of the body’s immune system, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Every year, more than 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with NHL.

“Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of white blood cell cancers that can vary greatly in terms of how aggressive or indolent they are,” Dr. Joshua Strauss, an attending hematologist and medical oncologist at Advanced Care Oncology and Hematology Associates of the Atlantic Medical Group in Morristown, New Jersey, told Fox News Digital.

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Patients with aggressive types of NHL may develop rapidly growing masses that they can feel, or they may experience more general symptoms, such as fevers, night sweats and unintentional weight loss, noted Strauss, who has not treated Coulier.

An important part of diagnosis is determining what type of lymphoma the patient has, according to the ACS.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (also known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, NHL or lymphoma) is a blood cancer that originates in the white blood cells (lymphocytes) that are part of the body’s immune system. (iStock)

“The type of lymphoma depends on what type of lymphocyte is affected (B cells or T cells), how mature the cells are when they become cancerous and other factors,” the organization states on its website.

Stages and treatment

Like other cancers, lymphomas are assigned a stage, from 1 to 4. 

People with stages 1 and 2 have “limited disease,” according to Strauss, while patients with stages 3 and 4 have “advanced disease,” where the disease has spread to multiple areas of the body. 

Every year, more than 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

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“However, as opposed to some other cancers, prognosis in NHL is more affected by histopathology, which is the particular subtype as determined by the appearance of the cancer under the microscope,” the doctor said.

Depending on the subtype, some patients with stage 3 disease can have an “excellent prognosis,” Strauss said, with recent advances in treatment improving outcomes.

Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is typically treated with intravenous chemo-immunotherapy. 

“This is a cocktail of various chemotherapy drugs combined with an immune treatment that attacks the cancer cells while trying to spare normal cells,” Strauss said. 

Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is typically treated with intravenous chemo-immunotherapy.  (iStock)

After several months of treatment, doctors typically use imaging to determine whether any cancer remains.

Coulier revealed in the “Full House Rewind” podcast that he started chemotherapy two weeks after his diagnosis, and preemptively shaved his head.

Who is at greatest risk?

While anyone can be diagnosed with NHL, there are several known risk factors.

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“People with autoimmune diseases or those who take medications to suppress the immune system may be at higher risk of developing NHL over time,” Strauss said. 

“The type of lymphoma depends on what type of lymphocyte is affected (B cells or T cells), how mature the cells are when they become cancerous and other factors,” according to the American Cancer Society. (iStock)

Certain infections, such as HIV and Epstein-Barr infection, as well as exposure to chemicals such as pesticides, may increase risk, the doctor warned.  

“While NHL can occur at any age, risk increases as we get older,” he said.

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The cancer type has also been associated with smoking and obesity, Strauss said — “so quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight may be protective.”

Coulier (left) is best known for his role as Joey Gladstone in “Full House” from 1987 to 1995 (right). (Getty Images)

Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed reporting.