April 28, 2015

Which genes cause unwanted side effects?

Hello! My name is Adrienne Borrie and I’m a PhD candidate in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Western University. I work at London Health Sciences Centre’s University Hospital and London Regional Cancer Program.

An important therapy for breast cancer includes a group of drugs called the aromatase inhibitors. These drugs are effective for treating breast cancer, but they may have unwanted side effects such as muscular pain or pain in one’s joints. This pain can be so severe that people taking the medication want to stop taking it before their treatment is completed.

One of the reasons that some people have serious pain and others don’t is related to their genes and DNA. My project will help scientists understand which genes cause unwanted side effects, with the hope that we can prevent them.

Knowing a patient’s genes and how they break down drugs will help us to individualize therapy for breast cancer patients. Personalized medicine is an exciting and promising new field that aims to treat patients individually, looking at factors such as a person’s genes to match the patient with the right drug, at the right dose, the first time.

In March 2015, I presented at the McMaster University Mini-Med School about the promise and progress of cancer research, including the newest findings from my lab. With BCSC’s support, I’m excited to be pursuing my PhD in breast cancer research!

Thank you to BCSC for your trainee support!
– Adrienne Borrie, student researcher
Pamela Greenaway-Kohlmeier Translational Breast Cancer Research Unit, London Health Sciences Centre

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