Project Title: Research of microbiota-derived extracellular vesicle role on breast cancer by using gut-breast cancer axis on a chip

Project No: lzp-2021/1-0041

Period: 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024

Project costs: 299999,70 EUR

Principle Investigator: Dr.biol. Artūrs Ābols

Summary

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and second most common cancer-related cause of death between women in high income countries. Recently, dysbiosis of gut microbiota has emerged as one of themajor cause that may affect development, treatment, and prognosis of breast cancer through different processes such as modulation and circulation of oestrogens. However, these processes alone cannot explain gut – breast cancer axis. Recent evidence suggest that microbiota derived bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) can enter the circulatory system and are involved in carcinogenesis. Therefore, microbiota derived BEV interactions with breast cancer cells need to be evaluated in future for diagnostics and therapy strategies of breast cancer. Classical in vitro methods cannot mimic gut – breast cancer axis, whereas animal models do not fully reflect the processes in the human body. One of the most promising methods currently in microflora research on cancer development are organs on chip platform, however so far, the available solution has not been applied for gut – breast cancer axis. Therefore, the aim of this project is to study BEV of breast cancer patient microbiota and functions on breast cancer by applying gut on chip and breast cancer on chip devices already.

Information published 03.01.2022.