Key Technologies
Finbreast teams use state-of-the-art technologies for our research. A central theme of the Finbreast research is the integration of basic and translational science with clinical studies, including the use of patient registries to connect molecular data with clinical outcome. Read below more about the technologies our teams are using.
Organoids and explant cultures
Organoids and tissue explant cultures retain the physiological cell composition and tissue architecture and thus provide an excellent model system to study mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression. Patient-derived explant cultures (PDECs) are living tumor samples from breast cancer surgeries, which are donated by the breast cancer patients with informed consent. Unlike traditional cell lines, PDECs retain the cellular heterogeneity and architectural complexity of the original tumor, effectively serving as miniature tumor models. This advanced ex vivo system enables researchers to assess patient-specific responses to both standard and experimental therapies, model mechanisms of treatment resistance, investigate the dynamic interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding immune microenvironment, supporting the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies, and explore metabolic escape pathways that contribute to therapeutic resistance. The model captures the phenomenon of cellular plasticity—a key adaptive mechanism that allows cancer cells to dynamically alter their identity in response to microenvironmental cues, thereby facilitating therapeutic resistance.
In vivo models
Mouse models of breast cancer are indispensable for understanding tumor biology and advancing new treatments. Genetically engineered mouse models and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) provide robust platforms for evaluating the systemic efficacy of emerging therapeutic strategies for breast cancer. These models enable comprehensive assessment of treatment responses, optimization of dosing regimens, and identification of potential adverse effects, thereby facilitating the preclinical validation of the most promising therapies. By closely replicating key aspects of human disease, mouse models bridge the gap between basic research and clinical application, helping to accelerate the development of effective and personalized treatments.
Clinical registries and biobanks
Finnish biobanks provide high-quality annotated biological samples with detailed information such as diagnosis and treatment that allow correlation of biological outcomes with patient data. Clinical registries include longtitudinal real-world data from patients that can be used to identify prognostic factors or monitor the effectiveness of therapies. All the data and samples in biobanks are pre-consented and quality controlled. Our teams are utilizing these data to validate our findings in human patient samples, which helps bridge the gap between mechanistic molecular biology studies and clinical outcome.