Research into Breast Cancers

Breast Cancer and Regulatory T Cells

Motivated by the natural history of MMTV infection in mice and the null results of MMTV testing in women with breast cancer, in FY2006 the Branch conducted a pilot study of peripheral blood mononuclear cell phenotypes in 20 early stage women with breast cancer and 20 matched controls. Increased levels of regulatory T cells (CD4 CD25) were found in the cases. This is being pursued with a more specific marker (Fox-P3) and in a larger group of early stage breast cancer cases and controls, which will be analyzed in FY2007. If regulatory T cells in peripheral blood are higher in breast cancer cases than in controls, IIB will seek to use pre-diagnostic specimens from incident breast cancer cases and controls in the PLCO cohort, with expected completion in FY2008. If successful, the project area would be broadened, starting with previously collected case-control specimens, to other malignancies and to measures of innate immunity.