New Brandon University lab hopes to detect breast cancer earlier through a blood test

Brandon University’s new Breast Cancer Cell and Molecular Research Laboratory hopes to detect breast cancer earlier in younger women using a blood test.

Currently, there is no FDA-approved diagnostic blood test for early breast cancer detection, says Dr. Mousumi Majumder, Brandon University Biology professor and Canada Research Chair in Genotoxicology. She wants to change that.

“Our goal is to make it possible that we find those sensitive molecular marker which can detect this disease at a very early stage, when you know a mammogram … or other technology might not be able to detect it,” Majumder says. Molecular markers are used to identify a sequence of DNA.

One of her major research aims is to help younger women — a population that is not typically screened for breast cancer— using the blood test.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Canada and the number one cancer in women, accounting for a large amount of cancer deaths, says Sachin Katyal, a cancer researcher with the University of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba. One of the more troubling trends right now is that breast cancer in young adults is occurring more often, he said.

“Doing something that you could maybe eventually put into your bloodwork is a really major advancement,” he said. “You could start … to see whether there’s any troubling trends that may be developing very early.”

The research team based in western Manitoba is trying to find RNA markers showing signatures in the blood when a small tumour as early as Stage 1 cancer is present. Majumder says if successful, this can help direct the care people receive because when breast cancer is detected early, it has a cure rate of 98 per cent.

Majumber says it is emotional being in the new lab because the work they do has the potential to save lives. She hopes this success will lead to additional funding for research.

The new lab has been painted pink to remind everyone how every bit of research is potentially helping catch breast cancer earlier, she said.

She says it was fitting to host a grand opening of the pink lab on Wednesday because October is declared as Breast Cancer Awareness Month by the Canadian Cancer Society. Majumder has received more than $2.5 million in external funding for her research program including from the Canada Foundation for Innovation supported by Research Manitoba Matching Fund.

“Cancer is a word everyone gets scared of,” she said. “If we can motivate ourselves every single day, let’s go to the pink lab, and contribute a little bit towards developing that blood test kit we dreamed about.”

Collaboration opportunities

Currently Brandon University researchers collaborate with the London Regional Tumour Bank in Ontario through the London Regional Cancer Program for biopsy and blood samples, Majumder says. When the materials arrive in Brandon, Majumder’s students then conduct research.

The lab hopes to work with more patients, specimens and blood test samples so they can expand their population-wide screenings.

About 20 students have been working in the new lab for about a month. They previously worked in a smaller lab at the university.

Vishnavi Gopaul, a fourth-year honours biology student, says the new lab opens up a world of possibilities for the experiments they conduct.

“It’s such a great opportunity for students now … I’m able to continue some of the projects that I started and look at other expressions,” Gopaul said.

Her current project looks at identifying blood biomarkers that could be detected in the blood if someone has early cancer. 

“If you identified early, there is a better outcome of the disease. So that’s what we’re trying to do,” Gopaul says.

Traditionally most major cancer research happens in Winnipeg at Cancer Care Manitoba and the University of Manitoba, says Katyal.

He called the lab a game changer for Brandon, Manitoba and Canada because it has the potential to have a big impact on breast cancer research. It is also an opportunity for Brandon to participate in big national and international level research competitions and programs.

“It’s also an exciting time because it allows for both cities to enhance our cancer research collaborations,” Katyal says.