Post by The Netherlands Cancer Institute

How does breast cancer start? That is one of the big questions behind two newly funded research projects at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. We are proud that our group leaders Hendrik Messal and Jos Jonkers have been awarded a Gray Foundation Team Science Grant. The Gray Foundation supports the newest technologies and brightest minds in cancer research to ensure that families affected by BRCA mutations have better options and improved outcomes. The two NKI teams will explore how BRCA1-related breast cancer starts by studying early genetic, cellular and immune changes that allow abnormal cells to survive and expand. The ultimate goal: to detect, or even stop, these cells before cancer develops. 🎉 Congratulations to everyone involved, and thank you to the Gray Foundation for supporting bold, fundamental cancer research! 📷: 3D microscopy image of breast tissue from a BRCA1 mutation carrier. Normal mammary ducts (gray), abnormal cells (orange) and vasculature (red). #CancerResearch #BreastCancer #BRCA #TeamScience #EarlyCancerDetection #NKI #NetherlandsCancerInstitute