Life as an early career researcher: interview with Heloisa Helena Milioli.

Heloisa received a BSc degree in Biological Sciences (2008) from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil) and obtained a MSc degree in Genetics (2011) from Universidade Federal do Paraná (Brazil). In 2011 and 2012, she worked as a lecturer and tutor in the Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina). She moved to Australia in 2012 to obtain her PhD in Biological Sciences, with emphasis on Bioinformatics, from The University of Newcastle.

Extensive Transcriptomic and Genomic Analysis Provides New Insights about Luminal Breast Cancers.

Despite constituting approximately two thirds of all breast cancers, the luminal A and B tumours are poorly classified at both clinical and molecular levels. There are contradictory reports on the nature of these subtypes: some define them as intrinsic entities, others as a continuum. With the aim of addressing these uncertainties and identifying molecular signatures of patients at risk, we conducted a comprehensive transcriptomic and genomic analysis of 2,425 luminal breast cancer samples.

The IMPAKT of breast cancer research: fundamental science and applied medicine.

The IMPAKT 2015 Breast Cancer Conference was designed for researchers and clinicians by the Breast International Group (BIG) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). The event was held on 7-9 May in Brussels, Belgium, bringing together approximately 525 participants with a special interest in translational science and state-of-the-art applications in the clinical setting. Oncologists, pathologists and scientists collaborated to develop innovative ideas about breast cancer research and to enhance its relevance to patient care.

The Discovery of Novel Biomarkers Improves Breast Cancer Intrinsic Subtype Prediction and Reconciles the Labels in the METABRIC Data Set.

Background: The prediction of breast cancer intrinsic subtypes has been introduced as a valuable strategy to determine patient diagnosis and prognosis, and therapy response. The PAM50 method, based on the expression levels of 50 genes, uses a single sample predictor model to assign subtype labels to samples. Intrinsic errors reported within this assay demonstrate the challenge of identifying and understanding the breast cancer groups.

Comparative proteomics of primary breast carcinomas and lymph node metastases outlining markers of tumor invasion.

Background: Lymph node metastasis is an important clinicopathological parameter for breast cancer prognostication and treatment. Although the development of metastasis is common in axillary lymph nodes, the mechanisms underlying the locoregional spread are yet poorly understood. In the present study, we outline the involvement of proteins in tumor invasion by comparing the proteome profile of primary breast tumors (PBT) against that of lymph node metastasis (LNM).