Metabolic stratification of breast cancer for personalised chemotherapy (360G-Wellcome-204458_Z_16_Z)

Breast cancer is a common term describing several subtypes of the disease, each of which requires specific treatments in order to achieve the maximum response. Previous research by G. Szabadkai’s team indicated that cancer subtypes diverge due to distinct adaptation mechanisms mediated by the mitochondrion, a subcellular organelle. Mitochondria are responsible for providing energy to the cell under normal conditions, but cancer cells hijack this essential component and use it to grow uncontrollably. In this project the team will explore how mitochondria behave in different cancer types, and will categorise cancers according to the genes which govern their behavior in order to inform on their sensitivity to treatment. G. Szabadkai and K. Bryson have devised a mathematical way to quantify mitochondrial gene expression (mGEP) which is the basis of the new classification. To show that this classification has important functional consequences, they will test human tumour samples using methods to evaluate the metabolism of tumours belonging to different genetic subtypes in collaboration with R. Stein and M. Yuneva. Ultimately, the team will evaluate how mGEP and the associated metabolic profile can inform on the sensitivity of tumours to treatment, which will help future efforts to develop a novel diagnostic tool to prevent overtreatment of the disease.