Researchers from Mayo Clinic have quantified the numbers of various types of immune cells associated with the risk of developing breast cancer. The findings are published in a study in Clinical Cancer Research.
"This is the first study to quantify the numbers of various immune cell types in breast tissue and whether they are associated with later breast cancer risk," says the study's lead author, Amy Degnim, M.D., a breast surgeon at Mayo Clinic. "Our findings provide evidence that the immune system may have an important role in promoting or inhibiting breast cancer development in its very earliest stages." In addition, Dr. Degnim says the findings provide researchers with greater confidence that immune-related approaches to breast cancer prevention, such as vaccines, may be useful.
Dr. Degnim and her colleagues studied quantitative differences in immune cell types between normal breast tissue from donors and breast tissue from donors with benign breast disease, a non-cancerous lump or thickening of breast tissue. They designed a breast tissue matched case control study using samples from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank and women diagnosed with benign breast disease at Mayo Clinic who subsequently developed cancer or remained cancer-free.
Researchers found that, compared to normal breast tissue, breast tissue with benign breast disease had greater numbers of several types of immune cells, especially dendritic cells and macrophages that work together to create an immune response, says Dr. Degnim. She says women who later developed breast cancer showed lower amounts of antibody-producing immune cells, known as B cells, in their breast tissue, which supports the hypothesis that the immune system may play an important role in early breast cancer development.
Materials provided by Mayo Clinic. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Disclaimer: DoveMed is not responsible for the accuracy of the adapted version of news releases posted to DoveMed by contributing universities and institutions.
Primary Resource:
Degnim, A. C., Hoskin, T. L., Arshad, M., Frost, M. H., Winham, S. J., Brahmbhatt, R., ... & Miller, E. (2017). Alterations in the Immune Cell Composition in Premalignant Breast Tissue that Precede Breast Cancer Development. Clinical Cancer Research, clincanres-2026. DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-2026
and connect with fellow professionals
At DoveMed, our utmost priority is your well-being. We are an online medical resource dedicated to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information on a wide range of medical topics. But we're more than just an information hub - we genuinely care about your health journey. That's why we offer a variety of products tailored for both healthcare consumers and professionals, because we believe in empowering everyone involved in the care process.
Our mission is to create a user-friendly healthcare technology portal that helps you make better decisions about your overall health and well-being. We understand that navigating the complexities of healthcare can be overwhelming, so we strive to be a reliable and compassionate companion on your path to wellness.
As an impartial and trusted online resource, we connect healthcare seekers, physicians, and hospitals in a marketplace that promotes a higher quality, easy-to-use healthcare experience. You can trust that our content is unbiased and impartial, as it is trusted by physicians, researchers, and university professors around the globe. Importantly, we are not influenced or owned by any pharmaceutical, medical, or media companies. At DoveMed, we are a group of passionate individuals who deeply care about improving health and wellness for people everywhere. Your well-being is at the heart of everything we do.
0 Comments
Please log in to post a comment.