For Immediate Release
May 16, 2007

BUFFALO, NY − Susan G. Komen for the Cure has awarded a three-year $300,000 grant to Kirsten Moysich, PhD, Department of Cancer Prevention, Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) to examine the role of a unique type of immune function in the development of breast cancer.

“While there have been significant advances in early detection and treatment of breast cancer, the risk factors identified to date explain only 40 to 50 percent of breast cancers that occur in the US,” according to Dr. Moysich. “This novel study of the immune system could have an important impact on our understanding of breast cancer.”

The immune system is one of the body’s defense mechanisms against cancer. The immune system identifies cancer cells that are foreign to the body and attacks them with its “effector T Cells.”

Regulatory T cells (or Treg cells), on the other hand, can actually prevent the immune system from protecting the body from foreign substances. This study will determine if women with higher levels of Treg cells in their bodies are more likely to develop breast cancer because these cells may prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells during the early development of breast cancer. The study also will study genetic variations which may influence the amount of Treg cells in one’s body.

“If we find out that Treg cells have a role in breast cancer development, immunologists may determine how to lower the level of Treg cells; thereby leading the way to prevent breast cancer before it develops,” notes Dr. Moysich.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the organization has invested nearly $1 billion to fulfill its promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-800-I’M AWARE.  

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and in China. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.