CSHL's Innovative Breast Cancer Research Funded By Joni Gladowsky Breast Cancer Foundation

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 13 Jan 2008 - 5:00 PDT


Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has announced that CSHL researcher Senthil Muthuswamy, Ph.D., received two grants totaling over $32,000 from the Joni Gladowsky Breast Cancer Foundation to further the development of alternative breast cancer treatment strategies. Dr. Muthuswamy's innovative approach looks at tissue architecture changes in pre-cancerous breast tissue to better understand early cellular and molecular events in breast cancer with the hope of developing strategies to control breast cancer in its earliest stages.

Though not all early benign breast lesions develop into malignant cancers, women with these lesions have an increased risk of developing invasive breast cancer. Dr. Muthuswamy is using novel methods to understand and identify the genetic differences of lesions that remain benign and those that become cancerous, increasing the odds of finding a way to prevent the development of this cancer.

"Our research has discovered new pathways for understanding breast cancer development," Dr. Muthuswamy said. "With the financial support of the Gladowsky Foundation, we can explore these pathways further, and identify new pathways leading to cancer, which gives us a better chance to find a way to stop precancer from progressing to a metastatic disease."

"The Foundation wanted to work with a local organization on Long Island and considered Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory," said Jason Gladowsky, Joni's son. "After learning about this wonderful institution and the impressive breast cancer research taking place here, we immediately decided to support their efforts."

Established in 2002, the Dix Hills-based foundation is co-chaired by Gladowsky and his sister, Alison Deblinger, who said, "We've worked with other organizations, but were really impressed with the commitment of the scientists at the Laboratory to further the cause of finding a cure for breast cancer."

The Foundation is planning a July 2008 event at the Hamlet Wind Watch Golf and Country Club in Hauppauge to raise additional funds in support of CSHL's breast cancer research program. "Dr. Muthuswamy shared information with us about his research and we look forward to working together towards a cure," said Elliot Gladowsky, Joni's husband.

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The Joni Gladowsky Breast Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization established to honor the Joni's memory as wife, mother, and Long Island resident who battled breast cancer for almost two decades. Funds raised by the Foundation go directly to groundbreaking breast cancer research. For more information, visit http://www.jonisfund.org/.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a private, non-profit research and education institution dedicated to exploring molecular biology and genetics in order to advance the understanding and ability to diagnose and treat cancers, neurological diseases, and other causes of human suffering.

For more information, visit http://www.cshl.org/.

Source: Jim Bono
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

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