SBIR-STTR Award

Breast cancer is a deadly disease in modern society with limited therapeutics optionsTumor malignancy is likely due to tumor initiating cells that are relatively undifferentiatedThis project will develop an assay to identify chemical compounds that encourage differentiation of breast tumor cellsa strategy that has proven effective for other cancer typesThe Microscopic Imaging of Epigenetic Landscape Breast Tumor DifferentiationMIEL BTDassay will utilize Vala SciencesStructured Illumination MicroscopeICSIMto quantify changes in the patterns of histone tags within the nucleusassociated with the initiation of differentiation of breast epithelium towards milk productionPhase I of this Fast Track project will demonstrate feasibility utilizing MCFcellsrepresentative of ERlumenal breast tumorSKBRcellsHERneuand MDA MBtriple negativebreast tumor cellsin standardD cultures using a version of the MIEL BTD based upon immunolabelingPhase II will develop genetically encoded epigenetic probesGEEPsand tumor spheroidDculture modelsSIM and image analysis methods will be developed for increased resolution of sub nuclear patterns of epigenetic markersThe MIEL BTD assay will be utilized in contract research for discovery of novel breast cancer therapeuticsThe ICSIM will be marketed to both academic and pharmaceutical cancer researchers