A full-time affiliate assistant professor with the Wayne State University School of Medicine has received a grant from a Canadian organization to fund her research into inflammatory breast cancer.

Dora Cavallo-Medved, Ph.D., of the Department of Pharmacology, secured a two-year, $70,000 grant from Seeds4Hope for her study, “Three-dimensional live-cell imaging to profile proteolytic pathways associated with lymphatic invasion in inflammatory breast cancer.” While the research will be conducted by Dr. Cavallo-Medved at the University of Windsor, she is collaborating on inflammatory breast cancer research with Bonnie Sloane, Ph.D., WSU Department of Pharmacology chair.

Seeds4Hope is a new project developed by the Windsor and Essex County Cancer Centre Foundation to support innovative cancer research through community donations.

“Understanding the interactions between inflammatory breast cancer cells and stromal cells such as endothelial cells and elucidating the mechanisms that promote tumorigenesis and invasion are vital to the discovery of biomarkers for early detection and therapeutic targets for the effective treatment of the disease,” Dr. Cavallo-Medved said. “These types of advancements are key to enhanced patient care.”

Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive and lethal form of breast cancer. Although it accounts for approximately 5 percent of all diagnosed breast cancers, the five-year survival rate is less than 45 percent, Dr. Cavallo-Medved said. This form of cancer is distinct in that it is characterized by rapid onset of breast swelling and redness, often without a well-defined lump. That challenges traditional diagnostic methods.

Inflammatory breast cancer also demonstrates a propensity to invade the lymphatic system of the skin and lymph nodes. Dr. Cavallo-Medved’s research will explore the interactions between inflammatory breast cancer and lymphatic endothelial cells. She will examine how endothelial cells affect the expression and secretion of proteases -- enzymes that participate in tumor invasion -- by the tumor cells and cytokines that regulate the process.

Establishing a molecular link between inflammatory breast cancer cells and endothelial cells will identify novel biomarkers for earlier diagnosis and aid in the development of new therapies, Dr. Cavallo-Medved said.

“Our proposed project will begin to provide insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying inflammatory breast cancer and in particular its invasive nature,” Dr. Cavallo-Medved said. “Insights into these mechanisms will aid in the identification of biomarkers that will improve diagnosis of the disease. Elucidating the mechanisms in which the disease progresses will provide information for the development of new therapeutic strategies in which to improve treatment of inflammatory breast cancer for patients within the community.”