Armed with these sobering statistics, scientists have launched several innovative projects to find therapies that will effectively treat, and hopefully reduce the overall incidence of lung cancer. Several are being presented today during the American Association for Cancer Research's 4th annual Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting in Baltimore.

"We have begun to develop innovative strategies to target lung cancer with targeted medicines and new vaccines, but we have a long way to go," said William G. Nelson, V, M.D., Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University and Program Chair of the meeting. "We hope that increased attention to research and treatment options will improve the outlook for the increasingly large patient population."

Nicotine Vaccine: A Promising Treatment for Nicotine Addiction (Abstract 2565)

To combat cigarette smoking, researchers are seeking ways to combat the habit which affects more than 45 million Americans. One new option is a vaccine that targets the nicotine rather than the brain's reaction to it. Researchers from the University of Minnesota, supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, have tested this new vaccine in humans with positive tolerability and efficacy.

"We are encouraged by the results of this study, which suggest that a nicotine vaccine may be a safe and potentially effective way to reduce tobacco dependence or as a relapse prevention aid," said Dorothy Hatsukami, of the University of Minnesota and lead author of the study.

The nicotine vaccine in question stimulates the immune system to develop antibodies that specifically attach to the nicotine molecules. The resulting antibody-nicotine com
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Contact: Warren Froelich
froelich@aacr.org
215-440-9300
American Association for Cancer Research
2-Nov-2005