In the ever evolving world of prostate cancer research and new therapies for the disease being studied, as well as new preventive maintenance and testing and news on how to prevent the cancer from occurring in the first place, there comes news of a possible shot that protects against prostate cancer in men, at least male mice so far. 

Mice are often used in animal trials for potential human cures and therapies because their bodies run very similarly to the human body and immune system, and they have certain genetic similarities which make them some of the best test subjects when testing for how something may work in the human body.  Weird, because they couldn’t look more different than humans in size and in other aspects, but that is the strangeness that is genetics! 

It’s important to note that it has been tested on mice that are genetically predisposed to getting prostate cancer, just as human men who can also be genetically more predisposed to getting cancer.  By early indications the results certainly do seem exciting, at the very least, as scientists are saying that it’s looking like so far they are giving these mice lifelong protection against getting prostate cancer by giving them one shot.  They are looking at it as sort of a “vaccination” against it.

The animals that were predisposed to getting prostate cancer had already had precancerous lesions when the shots were administered, and at quite a young age.  As horrible as it sounds, I’m thinking they were genetically engineered by science to have prostate cancer at an early age.  It’s hard to talk about that, and seems very cruel, but many believe that harming animals in order to save human lives is worth it.

The prostate cancer vaccine uses genetics to suppress the PSCA, which is an antigen that is overly expressed in men with prostate cancer.  The vaccine stimulates an immune response to the PSCA, and that is how it works in preventing full blown prostate cancer.  This does sound very promising.  Let’s hope that all the red tape doesn’t slow the progress of this making it’s way to market.  For the sake of all men and their prostate health and continued longevity.