There are very few people who get to say they changed the world. Dr. Majumder is on her way to doing just that – while saving millions of lives in the process.
Dr. Mousumi Majumder’s passion for precision genomics and a desire to help cure a disease that is all too prevalent. 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lives. This is her driving force behind a possible blood test that could detect early breast cancer.
A blood test might sound simple, but the path to creating one is anything but. Years of meticulous work in the lab looking through microscopes, cell samples, blood samples, collecting and sifting through data – to prove it’s possible.
It started with Dr. Majumder’s interest in comparing benign and aggressive tumour cell lines that led to the discovery of cancer causing MicroRNAs. MicroRNAs are common in all of us, in fact, there are over 1500 MicroRNAs whose fundamental job is to control our growth and development. Dr. Majunder explains “For example, once your eye colour has developed, it’s the role of endogenous MicroRNAs to stop its function.” The research Dr. Majumder’s team uncovered, proved that 2 of these MicroRNAs, miR526b and miR655, showed a high number in tumours and could serve as biomarkers for early breast cancer detection.
“Hypothetically, if something is associated with a progression of a disease, say Stage 4 Cancer you should have high expression compared to stage 0.” She says, “However, what we found was it wasn’t changing, instead, they are responsible for the early onset of the disease and then would allow tumor to grow and metastasise – the markers were oncogenic (cancer causing).” In other words; they discovered the 2 MicroRNAs were causing breast cancer, and she could detect it at an early stage in patient’s blood.
Yet, this ground-breaking research isn’t finished. “We need thousands of biopsies and blood samples from cancer patients,” she explains. While most patients get a biopsy of their tumor, supplying a blood sample during biopsy isn’t common practice, since breast cancer detection blood markers hadn’t been found before. “Getting samples is expensive. Storing them is expensive.” She says, reminding us how generous donations can make an impactful difference.
With enough funding, Dr. Majumder and her team could have a blood test that detects cancer as early as stage one in as little as two to three years’ timeline. Her research is so relevant since in Canada, women aren’t eligible for mammograms until they are 40, and early detection saves lives. Research like Dr. Majumder’s team and others throughout the country, are proving that ending breast cancer is possible, with the help of generous donors, like you.
Dr. Mousumi Majumder started her career in India, earning a PHD in oral cancer genetics and epidemiology in 2009 and completed her post-doctoral training at Western University in Ontario. In 2016 she made her way to Brandon University in Manitoba as an Assistant Professor at the Biology Department, where she earned the distinction of Canada Research Chair Tier II in Genotoxicology and continues her work.
Driven by their vision to end breast cancer, Breast Cancer Canada is committed to funding research projects that will have a direct impact on Canadian patients, focusing on the rapid movement of research findings from lab bench to bedside. As an example, recipient Dr. Mousumi Majumder of Brandon University, has been granted $75,000 in funding towards breast cancer screening and detection as part of Precision Genomics Research. Her research will focus on genetic contributions to a patient’s health, susceptibility or resilience to disease, and their individual responses to therapeutic interventions. Read more here.
