How might pregnancy immunize against breast cancer?
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated how pregnancy might protect against breast cancer.


METHODS
A critical review of the literature was done.


CONCLUSIONS
Support for an active role in pregnancy immunizing against breast cancer comes from case studies demonstrating a reciprocal correlation between pregnancy and breast cancer as well as recent experiments supporting the fetal antigen hypothesis that confirms the presence of a tumor-specific antigen, MUC1, on both fetal and breast cancer tissues. Multiparous women also generate anti-MUC1 major histocompatibility complex-restricted cytotoxic T cell cytolytic activity against MUC1-bearing tumor cell lines. Careful investigation of the fetal antigen hypothesis and tolerogenic mechanisms may lead to effective vaccination protocols against breast cancer and other cancers.
Botelho
F
F
Department of Pathology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Clark
D A
DA
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination
D018396:Mucin-1