Professor Walid Khaled awarded ERC Grant!

The European Research Council has awarded Advanced Grants to 11 researchers from the University of Cambridge. Professor Walid Khaled, one of our group leaders, was awarded one of these grants for his project Understanding Precancerous changes in Breast Cancer for the development of Therapeutic interceptions (PreBRCATx).

Breast cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide. Despite significant advances in immune and targeted therapies, researchers have yet to find a cure – especially for cancers found at a later stage. 
 
Professor Walid Khaled and his team are working to understand what happens in the body at a cellular and molecular level before breast cancer develops, especially in people with inherited mutations in certain genes – BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2. These are responsible for repairing damaged DNA, and are classified as tumour suppressor genes because, when functioning properly, they help prevent uncontrolled cell growth that can lead to tumour development. Mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 can therefore lead to a significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer, among other types of cancer. 
 
Using years of research into how breast tissue changes over time, the team will study how these changes lead to the earliest signs of cancer. They plan to test the efficiency of approved and nearly approved drugs in intercepting these changes, aiming to develop a preventive vaccine for people with these specific gene mutations. If successful, this could lead to clinical trials and, in the future, offer a way to stop breast cancer before it develops. 
 
This research will also generate new tools, resources, and data, benefiting others in the search for hereditary cancer prevention, and supporting a wider goal across Europe: to catch cancer earlier, reduce its impact, and help people live longer, healthier lives. 
 
With over 20 years of research experience in cancer biology, Prof. Walid Khaled is a Professor of Tumour Initiation in the Department of Pharmacology and Cambridge Stem Cell Institute at the University of Cambridge.  
 
Researcher: Walid Khaled 
Project: Understanding Precancerous changes in Breast Cancer for the development of Therapeutic interceptions (PreBRCATx) 
Host Institution: University of Cambridge (UK) 
ERC funding: €2.5 million over 5 years