Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre shared a post on LinkedIn:
“New research from Peter Mac has uncovered further evidence of how pregnancy triggers a powerful, long-lasting immune response in the breast, opening the door to potential new ways to prevent breast cancer in people at high risk.
Led by Associate Professor Kara Britt and Associate Professor Ajithkumar Vasanthakumar, the study found that specialised ‘killer‘ T cells begin populating the breast during pregnancy and can remain there for years – patrolling the tissue and helping detect and destroy abnormal cells.
Remarkably, the researchers found these protective immune cells still present in breast tissue 10 years after pregnancy.
Using experimental models, the team was also able to mimic pregnancy-related changes in breast cells using hormone treatments, inducing tissue-resident memory T cells that protect against breast cancer – without pregnancy.
‘These findings are very exciting and open up new avenues for immune-preventative interventions that may reduce the development of breast cancer in high-risk populations who have not conceived,’ Dr Vasanthakumar said.
Published in Nature Immunology, the research was a collaboration with the Peter Doherty Institute and supported by the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation.
Read more: Harnessing our body’s natural protection against cancer.”
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