20 August 2007

Cash injection for breast cancer research in Scotland

Eight scientists in Scotland, including three based in Dundee, have received grants from Breast Cancer Campaign, the only charity that specialises in funding independent breast cancer research throughout the UK. The grants, worth over £510,000, form part of over £4.2 million spent on research by Campaign in the last year

One of the grants, a small pilot worth £14,500 has been awarded to Dr Ana Schor at the University of Dundee.

Breast cancer cells produce molecules that kick start the formation of new blood vessels which allow the cancer cells to thrive and escape to other parts of the body. Dr Schor and co-workers have discovered a molecule called MSF which is found in 90 per cent of breast cancer patients but only in 13 per cent of people without breast cancer.

She has recently discovered another molecule called MSFI and will use her small pilot grant to investigate whether this molecule also plays a role in helping breast cancer cells to grow and spread.

Dr Schor said "If MSFI is found to help breast cancer cells grow and spread it could be a potential target for new drugs to prevent breast cancer spreading around the body."

Pamela Goldberg, Chief Executive Breast Cancer Campaign said "Thanks to real progress in breast cancer research we have seen significant improvements in diagnosis, treatment and survival. More than 80 per cent of women in Scotland diagnosed today will be alive in five years time - thirty years ago this figure was around 52 per cent. Breast cancer research is saving lives and our mission is to beat breast cancer by funding world class research projects such as Dr Schor's to keep up the momentum of bringing us closer to a cure."

Notes to editors

1. The support of volunteers is essential in raising awareness and vital funds to continue researching the cure for breast cancer. For more information call 020 7749 4104 or email volunteer@breastcancercampaign.org
2. Breast Cancer Campaign is the only charity that specialises in funding independent research into breast cancer throughout the UK. Our aim is to find the cure for breast cancer by funding research which looks at improving diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, better understanding how it develops and ultimately either curing the disease or preventing it.
3. Currently it supports 97 research projects, worth over £12.1 million, in 50 centres of excellence across the UK.
4. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women.
5. In the UK, almost 44,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women each year - that's 120 a day.
6. Breast Cancer Campaign's new publication, the History of Breast Cancer, which tracks key milestones in breast cancer treatment and the contribution of research to date as well as looking to the future can be downloaded at www.breastcancercampaign.org

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Roddy Isles
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University of Dundee
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E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk