Dissertation

Blueprints of Disease: Precision Platforms for Modelling Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is a clinically and biologically heterogeneous disease.

Author

C. Lutz

Date

10 March 2026

Links

Thesis in Leiden Repository

Luminal BC, the most prevalent subtype, is characterised by its dependence on hormones and presents ongoing challenges for treatment stratification and mechanistic understanding, in large part due to the lack of clinically relevant models. The overarching aim of this thesis is to develop, refine, and apply diverse preclinical modelling platforms to interrogate the drivers of luminal BC progression, heterogeneity, and therapeutic response. By combining in vivo modelling, genomic engineering, and large-scale phenotypic profiling, this work provides novel tools and insights into the functional biology of luminal BC. The thesis is structured around multiple platform modelling strategies, each applying new and refined techniques to address complementary aspects of (luminal) BC modelling and tumour biology.

• base editing
• breast cancer
• cancer progression
• computational modelling
• hormone receptor
• in vivo models
• oestrogen
• somatic engineering
• treatment resistance
• xenografts