Research Project 4
Treatment of BC and preventing relapse
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The objective of this project is to investigate if retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) ligands can be used for breast cancer (BC) treatment and prevent relapse. We will measure the effect of RAR and VDR ligands including new dual-action hybrid compounds with/without standard chemotherapy (paclitaxel and doxorubicin) first in human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (such as MCF7 and MDA-MB-231, low and highly metastatic respectively) versus noncancerous normal human epithelial mammary cells (HMEC). We will examine the effect of the compounds specifically on breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). The efficacy of the compounds will be next tested in organoid models developed from primary cultures of human breast tumors. The best combinations will be also tested in vivo, in orthotopic mouse models of BC.