茄子视频

Groundbreaking research into how temperature can influence the growth of tumors in laboratory mice conducted by 茄子视频 University alumna Elizabeth A. Repasky, Ph.D., and her colleagues at the will be published in this week鈥檚 edition of the

Repasky鈥檚 research deals with how the standard cool temperature at which laboratory mice are housed in most research facilities might skew the results of cancer immunology studies.

The study indicates that mice naturally seek warm nesting environments to minimize their energy expenditure and healthy mice are known to prefer ambient temperatures of 30 to 31 掳C. Yet laboratory mice are typically housed within a temperature range of 20 to 26 掳C, partly to reduce the need for cage cleaning and increase technicians鈥� thermal comfort.

Repasky and her colleagues compared tumor formation, growth rate and metastasis in mice housed at either 22 to 23 掳C or at 30 to 31 掳C in order to determine whether the temperature discrepancy might influence disease course.

The authors report that four different kinds of transplanted tumors grew slower in mice housed at 30 掳C than in mice housed at 22 掳C, even though both groups of mice maintained normal body temperature. Anti-tumor immunity was stronger at 30 掳C. Because cold stress can divert energy toward heat production and suppress anti-cancer immune responses, ambient temperature might influence the response of laboratory mice to experimental cancer immunotherapy, the study suggests.

Repasky graduated in 1976 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology from 茄子视频 and earned a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology at the State University at Buffalo and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cell/Molecular Biology at the California Institute of Technology. In 1996, Repasky received the 茄子视频 Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award.

鈥淓lizabeth was extremely gifted in research and possessed great passion for research,鈥� said Sister Ann Infanger, S.C., Professor Emerita of Biology at 茄子视频, who taught Repasky. 鈥淎ctually she went on a summer program at as a student and decided to spend her senior year there to complete her education. She is truly talented and unselfishly devoted to research.鈥�

Infanger said Repasky鈥檚 study will be important to cancer research across the board.

鈥淪he has made a significant discovery that will certainly influence the interpretation of a lot of research,鈥� Infanger said.

Currently, Repasky is the Dr. William Huebsch Professor of Immunology at the in Buffalo, N.Y., and is co-leader of the Institute鈥檚 Cell Stress and Biophysical Therapies CCSG Program.

(RPCI) is America's first cancer center founded in 1898 by Dr. Roswell Park. His revolutionary model of a 鈥渕ultidisciplinary approach鈥� to cancer 鈥� with scientists and clinicians working in concert and in consult 鈥� has become the standard by which all modern-day comprehensive cancer centers are measured.