Breast cancer vaccine in three years?

Here`s some good news for millions of women worldwide! Coming in just three years: A vaccine for breast cancer, say scientists.

In fact, an international team, led by the University of Georgia, has already developed the vaccine, but the scientists are now beginning tests on human cells before it`s launched in the market, `The Sun` reported.

Till date, the jab, that trains immune systems to destroy tumours, worked in 90 percent of cases in lab tests, say the scientists, who claim the vaccine forces antibodies to zoom in on the coating that surrounds cancers and kills them off.

In tests on mice, it was particularly successful on breast and pancreatic tumours. The team are now beginning to experiment with human cells. And, clinical trials could begin on humans by 2013.

Professor Geert-Jan Boons, who led the team, said: "The vaccine elicits a very strong immune response. It activates all three components of the immune system to reduce tumour size."

Added team member Prof Sandra Gendler of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona: "This is the first time a vaccine has been developed that trains the immune system to distinguish and kill cancer cells based on their different sugar structures."

Experts have welcomed the findings.

"This exciting new approach could lead to treatments for breast cancer patients who have few options," Dr Caitlin Palframan of Breakthrough Breast Cancer in the UK was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

However, she said trials on patients are needed.