Grant: Team Grant: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention - Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canadian women and the most commonly diagnosed cancer. Its incidence is rising due to factors like longer lifespans, hormonal changes, and lifestyle factors such as obesity. While there are ongoing clinical trials testing drugs and dietary changes to prevent breast cancer, these studies will not explain the earliest biological processes behind cancer development. This research project aims to better understand how breast cancer begins and progresses, focusing on three key areas: 1.Understanding Early-Stage Breast Cancer: We will use specialized mouse models to identify genes that allow benign lesions to become cancerous. By testing different gene combinations, we aim to identify the pathways that lead to breast cancer development. 2.Exploring Tissue Changes: Another focus is on myoepithelial cells, which normally act as a barrier to prevent cancer from spreading. We will study how these cells are altered in per-malignant breast lesions, assisting in the progression to invasive disease. 3.Investigating Lifestyle Factors: The project will also examine how lifestyle factors influence breast cancer development. By using advanced genetic mapping techniques, researchers will analyze breast tissue samples to understand how different cell types and their environments contribute to cancer progression. This research could lead to earlier detection of breast cancer in high-risk women and provide new strategies to prevent it from becoming invasive. Ultimately, the goal is to help identify individuals most at risk and tailor preventive treatments to stop cancer before it advances.