Investigating the role of E-cadherin loss in the interactions between invasive lobular carcinoma and the tumour microenvironment

This project will focus on a type of breast cancer known as invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), and its interactions with the surrounding breast tissue known as the tumour microenvironment (TME). A key feature of ILC is loss of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. We will investigate whether E-cadherin loss in ILC directly contributes to its pattern of growth and spread, as well as its interactions with the TME. As the TME influences the progression and treatment of cancers, elucidating these mechanisms of interaction may provide a greater understanding of what drives the behaviour of ILC, and help identify new treatments.