Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and constitutes a serious public health problem with 70,550 new cases every year in Germany. Cancer progression cannot be conceived without obviating the exquisite cellular communication within a tumor, a phenomenon that decisively influences tumoral behavior. Metastases occur when cells from a tumor migrate and form a secondary tumor elsewhere in the patient's body. But not all tumor cells form metastases. Just like the tumor itself, the cells within a tumor can also be classified as “aggressive” or “non-aggressive” and only the aggressive tumor cells are able to migrate. Based on the novel concept of lateral transmission of tumor aggressiveness, we showed the capacity of BrC cells to pass on their aggressive properties to a non-aggressive neighboring cell. Matrix- and cell-surface derived proteins have been shown to contribute to tumor progression due to their impact on different characteristics of cancer. This project aims to close a knowledge gap by providing a thorough analysis of the contribution of extracellular matrix proteins in the transmission of aggressive cell behavior in breast cancer. 

Funded by Deutsche Krebshilfe, project No. 70115643