Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer affecting Canadian women today. In 2010, an estimated 23 200 women will be diagnosed with and 5 300 will die from breast cancer in Canada (Canadian Cancer Society). The optimal treatment for breast cancer depends on how advanced the disease is, with highly advanced disease typically requiring invasive surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Despite these aggressive treatments, tumours often recur. The new tumour oftern is resistance to previous therapies and can be more aggressive than the original tumour, potentially spreading to different parts of the body. Research into specifically what makes breast tumours develop, grow, and spread within the body suggests that more specific treatments targeted to distinct characteristics within each tumour may increase disease responsiveness. For example, it has been shown that certain proteins within breast tumour cells are not properly regulated. Examination of these proteins may allow for the development of novel treatment strategies and ultimately a cure. My current research focuses on a protein called protein arginine methyl transferase 7 (PRMT7) which may be a critical player in breast tumour development and growth. My preliminary studies show that, compared to normal breast cells, breast cancer cells have higher amounts of this protein. PRMT7 is known to be important in keeping cells alive when they are exposed to toxic agents. Therefore, because there are higher amounts of PRMT7 in breast cancer cells, it may allow them to survive in the body when a patient is undergoing chemo or radiation therapy. The primary goal of my research is to examine the role that PRMT7 plays in breast cancer cells by performing experiments which will show how important it is to the survival of these cells. Further understanding of how PRMT7 behaves in breast cancer cells may lead to more effective treatment options for the 1 in 9 women that will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.