College of Natural Science,Physiology09/02/2022MSU researcher awarded $2.5 million NIH grant to study mammary gland development

When thinking about why breast cancer develops, it is critical to understand how normal development works. Recently, the National Institutes of Health awarded MSU physiology professor Eran Andrechek a five-year, $2.5 million grant to fund his research project of defining the role of the repressor E2F5 gene in mammary gland development.  in addition to a providing better understanding of the developmental biology, Andrechek hopes the findings will lead to further research on breast cancer.

Eran Andrechek is pictured in his laboratory. He hopes that his research will establish a role for the E2F5 gene in mammary gland development. "If we understand development and target regulation, that will help inform us about what's going on in cancer biology, too," he said. Credit: Harley J.Seeley Eran Andrechek is pictured in his laboratory. He hopes that his research will establish a role for the E2F5 gene in mammary gland development. "If we understand development and target regulation, that will help inform us about what's going on in cancer biology, too," he said. cancer researchdevelopmental biologygene regulationmammary gland