JKTG FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES TWO NEW BREAST CANCER METASTASIS RESEARCH PROJECTS

Work advances both the science of how breast cancer spreads and the tools used to detect and monitor metastatic disease

The JKTG Foundation announced funding for a three-year study led by Peter Kuhn, PhD, at the University of Southern California jointly with Sheila Stewart, PhD, at Washington University in St. Louis, to better understand how breast cancer spreads throughout the body. The project will investigate how cancer-associated fibroblasts, or specialized “support cells” that circulate in the bloodstream, may help cancer cells survive and form new tumors. The project will also study how these cells influence the spread of cancer and whether they could serve as new targets for treatments designed to prevent metastasis. 

The JKTG Foundation announced additional funding for a three-year study led by Rob Ivkov, PhD, at Johns Hopkins University, that will evaluate magnetic particle imaging (MPI), an emerging technology that may detect metastatic tumors earlier and more accurately measure tumor growth and treatment response. An objective of the project, among others, is to see if MPI can improve the detection of breast cancer that has spread to the brain. The research builds on existing JKTG-supported work with iron oxide nanoparticles and their utility in cancer therapy and imaging. This project will focus on MPI’s potential to expand our capability to detect and image breast cancer tumors, and perhaps overcome limitations of conventional imaging, which can expose patients to radiation or miss tiny metastatic tumors – particularly in the brain, bones and lungs.

"Metastatic breast cancer remains the greatest challenge for patients," said Ted Giovanis, JKTG Foundation founder and president. "These projects tackle that challenge from two complementary directions—one seeks to better understand the biology that allows cancer to spread, while the other aims to improve our ability to detect and monitor metastatic disease earlier. Together, they reflect why we are committed to driving research – it’s how we can make a meaningful difference for patients and those who love them."