Determining the role of macrophages and ageing in involution-associated mammary tumourigenesis

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Breast cancer already affects 1 in 8 women in the UK and the incidence of breast cancer is on the increase. Following lactation, the breast undergoes a dramatic remodelling process called involution that induces the death of the milk-producing cells. These dead cells are then removed by a specific type of immune cell called a macrophage. We have shown that macrophages are affected by a factor called Stat3 which is activated during the involution process. Our aim in this project is to investigate the role of macrophages in promoting tumour growth during involution. We also wish to understand the effects of age on both involution and involution-associated cancer development. This work will result in increased understanding of the causes of breast cancer spread during involution and how this is influenced by macrophages. In addition, we hope that we will be able to derive a set of marker genes that are associated with changes in the breasts of older women that predispose them to higher risk of breast cancer.