Tumor heterogeneity and chemotherapy resistance in the murine syngeneic WAP-T breast cancer mouse model

In breast cancer patients, the main cause of death is often the development of a locoregional or distant recurrence. Despite an apparently complete tumor resection, the combination with adjuvant and / or neoadjuvant radiation or chemotherapy is often not able to eliminate all tumor cells, since individual tumor cells acquire/have resistance capabilities. We investigate i) the effect of clinical relevant chemotherapeutic regimens on tumor growth and phenotype (tumor heterogeneity) in the orthotopic syngeneic WAP-T breast cancer mouse model; ii) the characterization of the chemoresistant tumor cells, and iii) the description of resistance-mediating signaling pathways that are initiated by these chemotherapies.