Saturday, April 9, 2011

Boise State Professor Jorcyk Receives Grant to Research Breast Cancer

Boise State associate professor Cheryl Jorcyk has secured a $600,000 grant from the Komen for the Cure Foundation to research breast cancer.

Jorcyk has studied Oncostatin M, a protein that is produced by breast cancer and immune cells that plays a role in inflammation.  With the grant, she will be able to explore the therapeutic effectiveness of an existing antibody against the metastasis of cancer from breast to bone.  Jorcyk believes that the spread of cancer is connected to OSM and that the antibody could block the binding mechanism of OSM.




“It’s extremely exciting to be entrusted with such important resources and the responsibility to produce results,” Jorcyk said. “It is every investigator’s hope that the return on investment will be significant, and this project has the potential to deliver.”

The Komen Foundation hopes that Jorcyk's work will lead to a new treatment product that will better address the complexity of breast cancer.  If Jorcyk is successful, she will be a major contributor to combating the disease. 

“Dr. Jorcyk exemplifies the spirit of Boise State’s research mission, to surpass expectations and define powerful new possibilities,” said Director of Technology Transfer Mary Givens. “The knowledge generated by her research has great promise to impact health and society across the world.”

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