Immunotherapies have revolutionised the treatment of some cancer types, particularly melanoma and lung cancer. Oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer has typically been viewed as an immunologically silent disease but anti-tumour immune responses have been observed in some patients. Response rates to immunotherapy are low and greater understanding of the mechanisms and determinants of response are needed.
Associate Professor Anita Dunbier and her team have explored the use of immune checkpoint therapies and anti-tumour vaccination in combination with anti-oestrogen therapies in vitro and animal models of breast cancer. Their work suggests that appropriate timing of administration of anti-oestrogen therapies may increase recruitment of immune cells to tumours and enhance responses.
Credit: Award-winning University of Otago biochemist and breast cancer researcher Dr Anita Dunbier is also a keen mountain runner. Photo by Linda Robertson.
Associate Professor Anita Dunbier is the Leader of the Breast Cancer Research Group in the Centre for Translational Cancer Research and Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago. Associate Professor Dunbier was awarded her PhD from Otago in 2004 and then moved to the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre and Royal Marsden Hospital in London, United Kingdom. In 2011 she was awarded the Health Research Council of New Zealand Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship and returned to New Zealand to set up her current research group. She is a previous winner of the Sir Anthony Driver Prize for Breast Cancer Research, the Mary-Jean Mitchell Green Foundation Award, Otago School of Medical Sciences Emerging Researcher of the Year Award and a University of Otago Early Career Award for Distinction in Research. Her group focuses on understanding why some women respond better to therapy than others and has a particular interest in improving responses to anti-oestrogen therapies.
