Scientists map dormant breast cancer cells, opening new treatment targets

Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London and the UCL Genetics Institute have produced a detailed map of cell populations within untreated breast tumours. The study, published in *Genome Medicine*, identified distinct neighbourhoods of proliferating cells and dormant, or “quiescent”, cancer cells. Protective immune and connective cells were found to surround these dormant cells, potentially shielding them from chemotherapy.

The authors suggest that future therapies may need to target not only the different cancer cell states but also the surrounding micro‑environment to prevent tumour regrowth. “Quiescent cancer cells are very dangerous,” said Dr Alexis Barr, co‑lead author and head of the Cell Cycle Control group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences.

The findings provide a new framework for developing treatments aimed at eradicating hidden cancer cells that can cause relapse.