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Understanding why some breast cancers spread to the brain

Project Overview

Rober Abdo is investigating molecular changes in breast cancer cells which enable them to spread to the brain. Although new treatments and earlier diagnosis have improved breast cancer outcomes, tumour cells can spread to the brain in some people, resulting in a poor prognosis. Researchers still don’t understand why this happens and investigating the molecular changes needed for breast cancer cells to survive and form tumours in the brain could lead to better therapeutic approaches. With funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, Rober Abdo is using tumour samples from patients with breast cancer, which has spread to the brain, to understand more about why this happens and possible ways to treat it. The research team will use molecular analysis techniques on the breast and brain tumour samples from each patient, as well as brain tissue samples surrounding the tumour. They will also use preclinical models to further investigate promising therapeutic targets identified by analysis of the patient samples. If successful, this project would lead to a new understanding of how some breast cancers spread to the brain and will identify new targets for therapies which could improve outcomes for people with breast cancer which has spread to the brain.

Principal Investigator

Rober Abdo , Western University

Partners and Donors

Canadian Cancer Society

Project Ongoing

Understanding why some breast cancers spread to the brain

  • Grant Type

    Capacity building grants

  • Area of research

    Cancer

  • Disease Area

    Brain Cancer

  • Competition

    Canadian Cancer Society Training Grants

  • Province

    Ontario

  • Start Date

    2024

  • Total Grant Amount

    $90,000

  • Health Canada Contribution

    $45,000