The projects

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death, with more than two million cases diagnosed worldwide in 2020. One of the most common subtypes is oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer.

This research has shown that there is a metabolic-epigenetic axis that regulates sensitivity to treatment and, consequently, affects the progression of ER+ breast cancer.

In this study, the research team aims to use its knowledge of the metabolic-epigenetic axis to develop new diagnostics and therapies that halt the progression of oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Thanks to this project, we will be able to detect clinically aggressive types of breast cancer at an early stage. Furthermore, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms and how to halt them will contribute to the development of new and more effective therapies to treat this deadly disease.

Research shows that among small breast lesions detected through screening, some progress into cancer while others remain benign.

The team led by Pr Emmanuelle Charafe-Jauffret is seeking to understand what causes some of these lesions to turn into disease. By identifying the genes and biomarkers involved in this transformation, the researchers hope to better distinguish at-risk lesions from those that pose no threat, and to put in place more effective prevention strategies to stop progression toward cancer.

This large-scale project should make it possible to better predict how these breast lesions will evolve, providing greater assurance for screened patients by confirming which cases—those at highest risk of progressing to cancer—require treatment. It will also open the way to new preventive and therapeutic approaches to breast cancer.