Professor Tutt's team is interested in therapy development for BRCA1/2 associated and Triple Negative forms of breast cancer, based on DNA Damage Repair (DDR) and in particular Homologous Recombination (HR) deficiency.

In this context they have, in collaboration with Professor Ashworth, developed a translational and clinical trial programme focusing on TNBC and cancers associated with functional deficiencies in BRCA1 and BRCA2.

The group has identified novel drivers of homologous recombination deficiency in breast cancer, normally used by cells in the body to create gametes in the process of meiosis that requires induction of genomic diversity (Watkins J. et al (2015). Cancer Discov. (5), 488-505).

They have also discovered new drivers of the biology of basal-like TNBC that affect how the immune system engages the cancer (Marra P et al (2014) Cancer Res. 2014 Sep 1;74(17):4908-21).