Researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute are studying a vaccine for HER2-positive breast cancers. The vaccine targets the HER2 protein, which is over expressed in HER2-positive breast cancer, as well as 20% of all breast cancers. The trial studies the use of two drugs, one targeting HER2 protein and the other that activates immune checkpoint inhibitors, to fight breast cancers

The researchers found that the effectiveness of the vaccine was increased when T-cells responsible for the immune response were activated early in tumor development. The vaccine has shown to be more effective when combined with pembrolizumab, a checkpoint inhibitor drug. Pembrolizumab works by activating T-cells once the body has already created an immune response