Researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School are actively involved in a variety of investigations that may lead to better prevention, detection, and treatment of breast cancer:

Faculty at Eastern Virginia Medical School are actively involved in a variety of investigations that may lead to better prevention, detection, and treatment of breast cancer:

• Search for Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers

A new technology called protein chip surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SELDI-MS) is being used to search for cancer associated protein biomarkers that could be used to develop a test for the early detection of breast cancer, much like prostate specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer. SELDI is also being used to discover protein alterations in tissue, blood, and nipple aspirates from breast cancer patients that are better predictive correlates of the patient's disease status. Such biomarkers will permit better therapeutic management of the patient's disease. What's exciting about the SELDI technology is that multiple proteins can be rapidly and simultaneously analyzed to create "fingerprints" that can then be used to differentiate cancer from benign breast disease and healthy women. Christine Laronga, M.D., Roger Perry, M.D., FACS, Antonia Vlahou, Ph.D., George L. Wright, Jr., Ph.D., and John Semmes, Ph.D. are the investigators for these research studies.

• Developing Novel Therapeutic Strategies for Breast Cancer

Several approaches are being used to understand the genetic and protein changes that occur when a normal breast cell turns into a cancer cell. Such information can be used to identify novel cellular target for developing vaccines and gene therapies. One study is evaluating a protein called 14-3-3 sigma that is found abundant in normal breast tissue but is lost in cancer tissue. Another study is focusing on the gene regulatory mechanisms initiated by oncogenes that stimulate the aggressive behavior of breast cancer cells. A third study involves the development of "suicide gene therapy" where gene delivery systems program the cancer cell to essentially kill itself. These studies are being conducted by Christine Laronga, M.D., Richard Drake, Ph.D., and John Semmes, Ph.D.