Nicola Ferrari: Parity and Lactation Induce T Cell–Mediated Breast Cancer Protection
Nicola Ferrari, Translational Science Director at AstraZeneca, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Parity and lactation induce T cell mediated breast cancer protection
- Parity and breastfeeding reduce the risk of breast cancer, particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), yet the immunological mechanisms underlying this protection remain unclear.
- The authors show that parity induces an accumulation of CD8+ T cells, including cells with a tissue-resident memory (TRM)-like phenotype within human normal breast tissue.
- In murine models, pregnancy followed by lactation and involution drove the accumulation of CD8⁺ T cells in the mammary gland, coinciding with reduced tumour growth and increased intratumoural immune cell infiltration, effects that were abrogated by CD8⁺ T cell depletion.
- Primary TNBCs from parous women exhibited greater T cell infiltration and improved clinical outcomes.
- Together these findings, spanning preclinical models and over 1000 patient samples, provide new insight into how reproductive history shapes breast immunity.
- These results also highlight the need for tailored prevention and treatment strategies that consider parity status and highlight the importance of systematically capturing reproductive history in future immunotherapy clinical trials.”
Title: Parity and lactation induce T cell mediated breast cancer protection
Authors: Balaji Virassamy, Franco Caramia, Peter Savas, Michael A. Harris, Jia-Wern Pan, Jianan Wang, Emmaline Brown, Megan M. R. O’Malley, Courtney T. van Geelen, Michael Hun, Thomas N. Burn, Sneha Sant, Jamieson D. Ballan, Jasmine Kay, Luis E. Lara Gonzalez, Kylie Clarke, Han Xian Aw Yeang, Rejhan Idrizi, Metta Jana, Damon J. Challice, Roberto Salgado, Heather Thorne, kConFab consortium, Cathie Poliness, Sophie Nightingale, Soo-Hwang Teo, Terence P. Speed, Jane Visvader, Paul J. Neeson, Phillip K. Darcy, Laura K. Mackay, Sherene Loi
Stay updated on all scientific advances in the field of fertility with Fertility News.
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:27Hrishikesh Pai: Rethinking Male Infertility
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:25Eric Verdin: Wrapping Up the Reproductive Aging Summit at the Center for Healthy Aging in Women
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:21Investigating Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Idiopathic POI – RBMO
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:18Sue Ritchie: Why Aren’t We Talking About Male Fertility More?
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:13Salma Yasin: Every Day of BFS Study Week 2026 Has Been an Exceptional Learning Experience
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:01Qingcai Wang: Over 35 and Torn Between Trying Longer and Starting IVF?
-
Sep 18, 2026, 19:58Bhumika: Can a Woman Become Pregnant Again While Already Pregnant?
-
Sep 18, 2026, 19:5215 More Experts Join the International Fertility Forum Mumbai 2026
-
Sep 18, 2026, 19:50Curious About What Happens Behind the Scenes in the Labs? – Sims IVF