Breast cancer is a complex and challenging disease that affects a significant number of women worldwide. At Alfa Cytology, we are committed to helping our clients unravel the complexity of these diseases by providing integrated preclinical research solutions.
Introduction to Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in women, both in Europe and the United States, and ranks as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Understanding the various aspects of breast cancer, including its types and current therapeutic strategies, is crucial in the fight against this formidable disease.
Fig.1 Breast Cancer Frequency, 1975-2019, Age & Sex. (Milano, A. F., 2023)
Types of Breast Cancer
Breast cancers are classified into four subtypes based on risk, prognosis, and likelihood of response to treatment: luminal A, luminal B, HER2 overexpressing, and triple-negative (Basal-like). Luminal is characterized by the expression of oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), as well as other related genes; the HER2 gene is amplified in about 15% of invasive Breast cancer is amplified. Basal, on the other hand, expresses epithelial genes in large quantities, such as cytokeratins 5 and 17, but with some loss of expression of ER, PR and HER2.
Fig.2 Types of Breast Cancer.
Therapy Development for Breast Cancer
| Targets |
Current Therapies |
| Key cell surface receptors |
- Anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies (trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and margetuximab)
- Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), and trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd)
|
| Trop2 |
- ADCs (sacituzumab govitecan)
|
| PD-L1 |
- Atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab
|
| CTLA-4 |
- Ipilimumab and tremelimumab
|
| HER2 |
- Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as lapatinib, neratinib, and tucatinib.
|
| MEK, PI3K, and AKT |
- MEK, PI3K, and AKT inhibitors are under investigation.
|
| ER modulators (SERMS) or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) |
- Block estradiol production for ER+ breast cancer.
|
| PARP |
- The targeting of single-strand DNA breaks in BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers with PARP inhibitors is in clinical practice.
|
Our Services
At Alfa Cytology, our state-of-the-art preclinical research facilities and specialized team of biologists and scientists are dedicated to conducting groundbreaking in vitro and in vivo studies to explore novel therapeutic approaches, validate potential biomarkers, and uncover the underlying mechanisms of these complex diseases.
Our preclinical services encompass a wide range of capabilities, including cell line development, high-throughput screening, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluations, and advanced animal models.
- Breast Cancer Cell Line Transplantation Model
| Species |
Cell Types |
Cell Line |
Oestrogen Receptor (ER) |
Progesterone Receptor (PR) |
HER2 Gene |
| Homo sapiens (Human) |
Human breast adenocarcinoma cells |
MCF-7;
MCF-7-LUC&GFP |
+ |
+ |
- |
MDA-MB-231;
MDA-MB-231-LUC&GFP |
- |
- |
- |
| MDA-MB-468 |
- |
- |
- |
| ZR-75-1 |
+ |
+/- |
- |
| BT474 |
+ |
+ |
+ |
| Human mammary gland adenocarcinoma cells |
SK-BR-3(SKBR3);
SK-BR-3-LUC&GFP |
- |
- |
+ |
| Human mammary ductal carcinoma cells |
T-47D |
+ |
+ |
- |
| Rodent |
Mouse breast cancer cells |
4T1;
4T-1-LUC |
- |
- |
- |
| EMT-6 |
- |
- |
- |
- Induced Models
The inducible breast cancer model mostly adopts the chemical inducible pathway, and the commonly used inducing agents include methylnitrosourea (N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, MNU) or MCA, etc.
At Alfa Cytology, we are committed to the research and study of breast cancer, from molecular biology services, and cancer biomarker discovery services, to preclinical research services, providing one-stop services. For more information about our breast cancer research and development initiatives, or to inquire about our comprehensive services, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Reference
- Milano, A. F. (2023). Breast Cancer: 20-Year Comparative Mortality and Survival Analysis by Age, Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Stage, Grade, Disease Duration, Selected ICD-O-3 Oncophenotypes, and Cohort Entry Time-Period: A Systematic Review of 656,501 Cases for Diagnosis Years 1975-2019:(SEER* Stat 8.4. 0.1). Journal of Insurance Medicine, 50(2), 80-122.
! For research use only.
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