The human breast atlas project
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating clinically relevant features of breast tissues in health and disease
IRAS ID
319339
Contact name
Siang Boon Koh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. It is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous disease with multiple subtypes. While major advances have been made in screening and treating certain breast cancer subsets, the disease still contributes to as much as 7% of all cancer deaths in the UK. As a result, strategies to identify clinically relevant biomarkers and more effective treatment strategies for breast cancer are under active development.
A major challenge in understanding a disease as genetically and phenotypically diverse such as breast cancer is the fundamental differences between patient tumours and the tumour models currently available in the laboratory (e.g. cell lines, animal models). Moreover, there is presently no golden standard for preclinical models of non-malignant breast cells, which will be an essential reference for all breast cancer-related studies. Therefore, our understanding of breast cancer development, progression and therapy resistance remains incomplete, hampering strategies towards improved prevention, early detection and treatment.
In this study, the aim is to collect breast tissue specimens (and blood if blood collection is part of clinical routine) from patients. This approach will enable us to make novel discoveries from human tissue itself as well as validate the human relevance of our preclinical findings. Furthermore, inclusion of cancer and cancer-free patients in this study will enable crucial comparisons to be made between malignant and non-malignant breast tissues, potentially revealing underlying mechanisms that are clinically actionable. As such, the study may prospectively inform clinical decisions, especially for cases where clinically established biomarkers are identified.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0418
Date of REC Opinion
21 Dec 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion