14-3-3tau and estrogen receptor loss in breast cancer
14-3-3tau drives estrogen receptor loss and breast cancer progression
This project looks for drugs that stop a protein called 14-3-3tau from causing some breast cancers to lose their estrogen receptor so hormone treatments keep working for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300217 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team is studying how the protein 14-3-3tau drives loss of the estrogen receptor (ER) and helps tumors spread, using lab-grown 3D breast cancer spheroids and mouse tumor grafts that mimic patient tumors. They will use those models to screen existing small molecules and drugs to find ones that block the pathway and prevent ER loss and metastasis. Because some candidate inhibitors are already approved or in trials for other conditions, promising lab results could move more quickly toward human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with ER-positive breast cancer at risk of losing ER expression, or patients whose tumors show high 14-3-3tau levels or have become ER-negative after treatment, would be the most directly relevant groups.
Not a fit: Patients whose breast cancers are ER-negative for reasons unrelated to 14-3-3tau or who require immediate standard-of-care therapy may not benefit directly from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help prevent metastasis and restore or preserve hormone therapy response in patients whose tumors lose ER.
How similar studies have performed: Investigators have shown in preclinical models that 14-3-3tau promotes ER loss and metastasis, but using drug blockers to reverse this effect remains largely unproven in patients.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Weei-Chin — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Lin, Weei-Chin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.