SVIBOR - Project code: 3-01-421

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Strossmayerov trg 4, HR - 10000 ZAGREB
tel.: +385 1 459 44 44, fax: +385 1 459 44 69
E-mail: ured@znanost.hr

SVIBOR

SVIBOR - Collecting Data on Projects in Croatia

Project code: 3-01-421


CELLULAR IMMUNITY IN THE TREATMENT AND PROGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER


Main researcher: LUKAČ, JOSIP (26756)


Assistants
Type of research: applied
Duration from: 07/01/91. to 11/03/99.
Papers on project (total): 38
Papers on project quoted in Current Contents: 13
Institution name: Bolnica "Sestre milosrdnice", Zagreb (134)
Department/Institute: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Division for immunology and genetics
Address: Vinogradska c.29
City: 10000 - Zagreb, Croatia
Communication
Phone: 385 (0)1 17 46 66
Fax: 385 (0) 1 17 24 53
Summary: Investigation of some less known aspects of cellular immunity involved in tumor defence in breast cancer patients is proposed: the number and activity of NK cells, granulocyte and monocyte phagocytic functions (ingestion and microbicidity), production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) upon lipopolysaccharide activation of monocytes. Parameters of immunocompetence will be compared with cytogenetic (karyotype instability of peripheral blood lymphocytes), pathohistological (histological differentiation), clinical (degree of dissemination) and therapeutic (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy) in order to seek for new indicators of prognosis and indicators of effects of applied therapy. Thic could contribute to more specific and more individual tailoring of therapy in each case.

Keywords: breast cancer, immunocompetence, karyotype, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, tamoxifen, natural killer (NK) activity, phagocytosis, cytokines, lymphocytec, monocytes, granulocytes

Research goals: Actual empirical approach in breast cancer treatment most probably is not going to significantly improve the therapy. More insight to biological heterogenity of tumors and metastasing process would enable creating of more efficient treatment modalities. In this context, better knowledge of immunological functions related to tumor defence, taken together with other indicators of tumor biology - cytogenetical, histological, clinical and therapeutical - probably will help (a) in follow up of beneficial and undesirable effects of applied therapy; (b) in disease prognosis, and (c) in choosing more adequate modalities of cytotoxic and/or hormonal therapy. Although chemotherapeutics are considedred as immunosuppressive, there is evidence that they also could serve as immunomodulators. Hormonal therapy, particularly tamoxifen, is reported to influence immunocompetence too. Therefore, it is proposed to get more insight in some less known aspects of cellular immunity related to host tumor defence in breast cancer patients: number and functions of NK cells, phagocytic functions of granulocytes and monocytes - ingestion and microbicidity, and production of IL-1 and TNF by in vitro activated monocytes. Comparing these parameters with cytogenetical, histopathological, clinical and therapeutical, new indicators of prognosis and indicators of effects of applied therapy could be determined, which would allow more specific and more individual therapy approach to each patient.

COOPERATION - INSTITUTIONS


  1. Name of institution: Fakultet za defektologiju Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Odsjek za motoričke poremećaje i kronične bolesti
    Type of institution: Economical/Production
    City: 10000 - Zagreb, Croatia
Other information about the project.
MZT Croatian language SVIBOR Alphabetic list Sorted on project code Sorted on institutions Search help
Ministry of
Science and
Technology		 Croatian
language		 Svibor
homepage		 Alphabetic
list		 Sorted on
project code		 Sorted on
institutions		 Search Help
Last update: 10/06/95
Information: svibor@znanost.hr