Layah A. Khalif

Breast cancer is the most common diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for women in the United States. Despite the identification of breast cancer subtypes based on molecular markers (luminal A, luminal B, HER2 amplified, triple negative), there is a large amount of diversification among tumors. This variance can result in differences in response to primary therapy. In an effort to find novel avenues for predictive markers for response to therapy, we analyzed differences in total collagen content among three breast cancer subtypes (ER+/PGR+/HER2 not amplified, ER+/PGR-/HER2 not amplified, ER-/PGR-/HER2-). Collagen, a fibrous, structural protein, is the most abundant and most active constituent of the extracellular matrix. Increased or decreased deposition of collagen is associated with increased malignancy and tumor aggressiveness. Collagen-dense environments increase the stiffness of the tumor and adjacent tissue and drive tumor progressive characteristics and metastatic potential. The purpose of this research is to identify a relationship between patient characteristics (age, race, BMI), increased collagen density, elastic composition, and intracellular signaling among the different breast cancer subtypes.

Our preliminary results demonstrate alterations in collagen content between patient samples. However, there was no observed correlation between total collagen content and patient demographics. We believe the results from this study will lead to the justification of future studies focused on identifying response to therapy in individuals with enhanced collagen/elastin expression. 

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This topic was presented to LSU students, faculty and staff and visitors at LSU Discover Day 2019.