Active Cancer Genetics & Molecular Biology

The impact of chronological ageing on breast tumour initiation

Funder Wellcome Charity-funded
Recipient organisation University of Cambridge
Funding Not disclosed
Period Oct 2025 — Sept 2028

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Ageing is the strongest risk factor for breast cancer, yet scientists do not understand how the ageing process itself helps tumours get started. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women worldwide, and late-stage tumours are notoriously difficult to treat because they are so diverse at the molecular level. This makes early detection and prevention critical. But a major gap in knowledge is what actually triggers a tumour to begin forming in the first place. This project will map how chronological ageing alters the mammary tissue’s response during tumour initiation, how it changes the behaviour of cell clones, and how it reshapes the mutational landscape. It will also test whether therapeutic rejuvenation—interventions that reverse aspects of tissue ageing—can block tumour initiation. This is fundamental science. It will not produce a new diagnostic test or drug tomorrow. But in an ageing population, understanding the biological link between ageing and the very first steps of breast cancer could lay the groundwork for entirely new prevention strategies. Similar fundamental work on how cells accumulate damage over time has already led to breakthroughs in cancer screening and risk prediction.

View original technical description
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and its molecular and cellular heterogeneity at late stages remains a major barrier to curative treatment. This highlights the importance of developing approaches of early detection and intervening prophylactically to prevent tumour development. A key obstacle lies in our poor understanding of the events that drive tumour initiation. Ageing is the strongest risk factor for breast cancer, yet the biological mechanisms by which ageing is involved in early breast tumourigenesis are largely unknown. This project aims to reveal the impact of chronological ageing on tumour initiation and mammary tissue state responses, and to explore whether therapeutic interventions aimed at rejuvenating tissue could impact breast tumour initiation. This project specifically aims to: 1) map the impact of chronological ageing on tissue state response during breast tumour initiation 2) investigate the impact of chronological ageing on clonal dynamics during breast tumour initiation 3) assess the impact of chronological ageing on the mutational landscape during breast tumour initiation 4) discover how therapeutic rejuvenation could impact breast tumour initiation. In an ageing population, this knowledge could provide the foundation for improving early detection strategies and developing new approaches for preventing breast cancer.

View the original record at the funder ↗

Researchers

Julius Schmiegelow (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Aging-associated changes in the tumour microenvironment determine cancer progression and metastasis
Deciphering the contribution of development and age to breast cancer aetiology
Determining the role of macrophages and ageing in involution-associated mammary tumourigenesis
Understanding cancer development in BRCA 1/2 mutation carriers for improved Early detection and Risk Control
Biological markers of ageing in older women with breast cancer

Original classification

PhD Studentship (Basic)

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.