# PROTECTION AGAINST MAMMARY CARCINOGENESIS BY PREGNANCY

> **NIH NIH R01** · ROSWELL PARK CANCER INSTITUTE · 1989 · $64,987

## Abstract

This proposal represents a concerned effort to study the determinates of
pregnancy-induced refractoriness of the mammary gland to chemical
carcinogenesis.  Results from our initial studies of the past two years
have indicated that the mechanism(s) that act to protect the mammary gland
against carcinogenesis appear to reside in the host, rather than in the
mammary gland per se.  We propose to carry out an in-depth investigation in
order to elucidate the host factor(s) that may be responsible for induction
of refractoriness in parous rats, since we believe that such studies may
lead to an understanding of how pregnancy confers protection of the mammary
gland against the effect of a chemical carcinogen.  We will first establish
the presence of host factor(s) by cross-transplantation experiments.  Since
pregnancy is known to cause profound endocrinological changes in the body
of the mother, our second objective would be to determine if the
refractoriness may be due to some "permanent" endocrinological changes
resulting from pregnancy.  Finally, we wish to investigate the possibility
that since the fetus is an effective "allotransplantation" and
fetoplacental tissue has been shown to secrete known oncofetal antigens,
pregnancy may induce immunological changes in the parous rat which would
act to prevent the development of tumors in the mammary gland.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3173650
- **Project number:** 5R01CA036139-06
- **Recipient organization:** ROSWELL PARK CANCER INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** DILIP K SINHA
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $64,987
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1984-02-01 → 1991-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3173650

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3173650, PROTECTION AGAINST MAMMARY CARCINOGENESIS BY PREGNANCY (5R01CA036139-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3173650. Licensed CC0.

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