Cardiff University European Cancer Research Institute

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We are supporting Cardiff University’s European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute with ground-breaking work they are doing on finding new therapies for a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. The Institute is working on research into a form of breast cancer called ‘triple negative breast cancer’ or TNBC. This tends to be more aggressive and cannot be treated with hormonal therapy or trastuzumab, a common breast cancer treatment. Researchers at the Institute have found a ‘molecular switch’ called LYN which exists at high levels in TNBC. It is particularly active in TNBC that develops in patients with a defective BRCA1 breast cancer gene. In the laboratory, the researchers have found that BRCA1-TNBC cancer is very sensitive to blocking LYN and is killed by this approach. More needs to be found out about the physical properties and biology of LYN so that compounds can be developed that could be used in patients.

We are supporting the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute by helping to fund studies of this ‘molecular switch’, which will form the basis of the development of new therapies for breast cancer patients.
Breast Cancer Research Aid visited European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff University on 2 May 2019.
Prof Matt Smalley and Dr. Richard Clarkson presented their recent breast cancer research development supported by BCRA funding.   

Through the support of Breast Cancer Research Aid, the Institute of Cancer Research has been able to make novel discoveries in the treatment of breast cancer.
ICR focuses on uncovering cancer drugs and combination therapies through ongoing research. 

The research also intends to look into pathways of cancer development and ultimately what modifications lead to drug-resistance. Thus, guiding us toward better imaging modalities. 

With the help of Breast Cancer Research Aid, our researchers get better equipped with the latest technology and cutting-edge infrastructure