PhD defence

Refining molecular subtyping in breast and colon cancers using Gene Expression and Proteomics Data

PhD candidate A (Architha) Ellappalayam
Promotor prof.dr.ir. VAP (Vitor) Martins dos Santos
prof.dr. M (Maria) Suarez Diez
dr. E (Edoardo) Saccenti
Organisation Wageningen University, Systems and Synthetic Biology
Date

Tue 12 September 2023 11:00 to 12:30

Venue Omnia, building number 105
Hoge Steeg 2
105
6708 PH Wageningen
+31 (0) 317 - 484500
Room Auditorium

Summary

Cancer, a multifaceted disease, represents a significant challenge in medical research and healthcare. Breast and colon cancer continue to be the subject of intensive study and clinical focus and their molecular subtyping is a vital avenue of research and clinical practice, aiding in identifying patient-specific biomarkers, targeted therapies, and developing precision medicine approaches. The goal of my thesis was to contribute to refining molecular subtyping diagnostics in breast and colon cancers using gene expression and proteomics data. I achieved this by investigating the concordance of tissue of different origins in colon cancer and identifying new biomarkers for subtypes of breast cancer, identifying subgroups within a molecular subtype, and developing a methodology to identify patients that may belong to more than one molecular subtype, indicating that they could benefit from more than one kind of targeted therapy. The insights gained from this thesis can pave the way for future research and clinical applications in precision medicine.