Cheryl Jorcyk, an associate professor in Boise State University’s Department of Biological Sciences, received a $720,000 Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to support her project, “Breast Cancer Metastasis in Bone: The Role of Oncostatin M.” It is only the second ACS grant in Boise State history.
“The project was selected by a panel of expert peer reviewers as part of the Society’s nationwide competitive review process,” said T.J. Koerner, director of research information management at the ACS national office. “Fewer than 15 percent of the applications were approved for funding, thus giving a sense of how highly regarded the proposal by Dr. Jorcyk was deemed by the stringent review process.”
The key element of Jorcyk’s project is Oncostatin M (OSM), a signaling molecule produced by breast cancer cells and tumor-associated cells of the immune system that plays a role in inflammation and, according to Jorcyk, may contribute to the progression and spread of tumors.
Jorcyk said 70-75 percent of metastatic breast cancers metastasize to bone, so she is studying the possible mechanism of OSM in that process in the hope of developing ways to stop it. If her results prove a connection, a foundation will be provided for the design and testing of experimental treatments targeting OSM. Such a development would have enormous potential significance in the fight against breast cancer.
The sole investigator on the ACS grant proposal, Jorcyk expressed gratitude for her collaborator Robin Anderson at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia, where Jorcyk spent her sabbatical doing research during the 2008 fall semester. She also lauded the support of fellow faculty members, especially Julie Oxford, as well as department chairs Jim Munger (former) and Jim Belthoff (current), Boise State Vice President for Research Mark Rudin, graduate student Ken Tawara and other students in her lab who contributed to the project over the several years it took to build up solid preliminary research and a case for major funding.
“I think the ACS was impressed by how far Boise State has come in such a short period of time in terms of research. They were very excited about my research and wanted to give me a chance to expand its scope,” Jorcyk said. “I am honored to have been given that chance by such an esteemed organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.”
With this distinction Jorcyk joins a distinguished group of researchers, including 42 Nobel laureates, to be funded by the ACS over the last 63 years.
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Media Contact: Erin Ryan, University Communications, (208) 426-4910, erinryan@boisestate.edu
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