Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and remains a major health challenge in Europe. Women carrying inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations face a particularly high lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, often at a young age. Currently, prophylactic mastectomy is the most effective preventive option for many of these individuals, highlighting the urgent need for alternative prevention strategies that are less invasive and have a lower impact on quality of life.
Recent advances in cancer immunology have shown that the immune system can detect and eliminate abnormal cells before they become cancerous. However, little is known about how precancerous cells evade immune surveillance during the earliest stages of breast cancer development. Understanding these mechanisms could open new opportunities for cancer prevention.
The IMMUNOPREVENT project aimed to investigate the role of the immune system in preventing BRCA1-driven breast cancer and to determine how the immune regulator LCOR influences the earliest steps of tumour initiation. By combining genetically engineered mouse models with advanced cellular and molecular approaches, the project sought to identify mechanisms that allow premalignant cells to escape immune control and progress towards malignancy.
The long-term goal of the project was to generate knowledge that could support the development of novel immunological strategies for breast cancer prevention. Rather than treating established tumours, this approach focuses on preventing cancer before it develops, particularly in individuals at high genetic risk.
IMMUNOPREVENT contributes to the objectives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan by advancing knowledge in cancer prevention, early intervention and personalised medicine. The project also supports the broader European ambition of reducing the health and socioeconomic burden of cancer through innovative research.
The expected scientific impact lies in improving our understanding of immune surveillance during cancer initiation and identifying new biological pathways that could be targeted for prevention. In the longer term, these discoveries may contribute to the development of preventive therapies that reduce the need for invasive surgical interventions in BRCA mutation carriers.
Given that hereditary breast cancers account for approximately 5–10% of all breast cancer cases and that BRCA mutation carriers face substantially elevated cancer risk, advances in prevention have the potential to generate significant benefits for patients, healthcare systems and society. By exploring how the immune system can be harnessed to eliminate precancerous cells, IMMUNOPREVENT aims to lay the foundation for future strategies that improve both cancer prevention and quality of life.
