Ian Frazer highlights progress on skin cancer vax

Renowned Australian scientist Ian Frazer says he's preparing to start clinical trials on a new skin cancer vaccine. The work is related to his groundbreaking research that helped create Merck's Gardasil, a vaccine for cervical cancer. The new vaccine also targets papillomavirus, an infection that helps spur the transformation of abnormal cells into cancer cells.

This new vaccine is intended to prevent squamous-cell skin cancer, a condition closely linked to papillomavirus and the second leading cause of death among skin cancer victims. In order to make the vaccine work, researchers also have to learn how to alter the immune system to allow killer cells to target cancer cells.

"My entire career has been focused on understanding the interaction between papillomavirus and the cancers they affect," Professor Frazer told Australia's Sunday Telegraph. "We know it causes at least five per cent of all cancers globally so one in 20 of the cancers that people get is caused by papillomavirus. It's a huge issue."

Frazier will review the progress of his work at the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress being held in Brisbane. He believes a vaccine could be ready for use in five to 10 years.

- read the report from the Sunday Telegraph

Related Articles:
Therapy credited in skin cancer cure
Synta therapy slows spread of melanoma (Sept 2007)
In Phase III, Gardasil prevents HPV in men
FDA grants Gardasil two new indications