Targeting Breast Cancer Stemness through Manipulation of IL

Stem cell programs contribute to the initiation and growth of various tumor entities, including breast cancer. Hence, manipulation of such programs is an attractive therapeutic concept holding the potential to cure cancer. However, as tumor stemness is also linked to drug resistance, direct targeting approaches are less expedient, providing the rationale for innovative strategies of stemness-directed treatment, for instance via non-transformed cell types of the tumor stroma. In this research project, specialized models of breast cancer will be used to investigate the significance of defined stromal cell populations for tumor stemness and growth. The proposed research is based on the hypotheses that (i) stemness of breast cancer cells is enhanced by specific cell types of the tumor stroma and that (ii) manipulation of these cells can impinge on breast cancer cells, thereby leading to tumor regression. Experimentally, the study will make use of specific mouse models susceptible to toxin-mediated elimination of tumor fibroblasts, in which the impact of cell ablation on breast cancer stemness will be determined using different cell- and molecular-biological readouts. Furthermore, the particular properties of tumor fibroblasts will be characterized so as to identify novel potential targets for breast cancer treatment. The proposed research is expected to reveal (i) whether and to which extent breast cancer growth depends on tumor fibroblasts and (ii) whether specific factors in these cells can be utilized to interfere with breast tumor stemness. Positive results will open new avenues for breast cancer treatment and will ultimately contribute to improved clinical management of this life-threatening disease.

No additional funding sources recorded.