Austrian scientists have made important progress in the research of new anti-skin cancer vaccine, Austrian Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The new vaccine's basic composition, named as "Mimotop", includes nine kinds of amino acid and part of the structure of antigens of melanoma, the report said.

Mimotop can stimulate protective immune effects in the body like a vaccine, it said. Preliminary test results on animals have been published on the latest international professional journal "Clinical Cancer Research".

Heimo Breiteneder, expert of the Division of Medical Biotechnology of the University of Vienna, pointed out that practice has proved that the immune system plays an important role in suppressing melanoma.

Experiment results also showed that the tumor vaccine they have developed containing the substance "Mimotop" can significantly slow the growth of melanoma.

Christine Hafner, dermatological expert of the Institute of Medicine of the University of Vienna, further explained that experiments proved that "this vaccine can stimulate the body to produce self-resistance, which means producing a special antibody that can actively combat melanoma."

The report said that this result is achieved with joint efforts of experts from the Institute for Pathophysiology, the Department of Medicinal Biotechnology of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna's Clinic of Dermatology.

However, the Austrian scientists admitted that they still have a long way to go before putting this vaccine into practical use, as clinical research is necessary.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2008)