Translational Proteomics of Normal to Benign Breast Disease

The development of benign breast disease is an important clinical problem that is not well understood or diagnosed. It is our strong belief that understanding of the physiological changes in respect to the study of breast cell proteins (proteomics) will provide valuable progress in better diagnosing early stages of breast disease development. Proteins are the functional components of the cell that are directly responsible for disease development. To date this has been very difficult to assess however, with new innovative technology and clinical resources we can approach this field much easier now. Only through cross-multidisciplinary integration of the clinical and basic sciences can new developments be achieved with rapid application to patient care. Our approach is to address this problem examining proteomics of normal breast tissue change to benign (pre-cancer) disease. Identification of unique protein patterns associated with innovative proteomic technology will allow a better identification of those patients at increased risk developing breast cancer. The focus is on the earliest events of breast disease development. The understanding of the complexity of normal breast changes during different physiological stages of a woman during her lifetime that predispose to malignancy is advantageous. The proposal utilizes the collaborative effort of three co-PIs specialized in different aspects of breast cancer research.