A backup protein-making switch in aggressive triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: The role of an alternate mechanism of translation initiation in TNBC Metabolism
Funded at Herbert H. Lehman College · NIH-11323080 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether a backup way cancer cells make proteins helps triple-negative breast cancer cells survive stress and spread.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Herbert H. Lehman College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $138,833 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM153947-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323080 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with triple-negative breast cancer, especially those with advanced, metastatic, or treatment-resistant disease, are the patients most related to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other breast cancer subtypes or without cancer are unlikely to get direct benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
Many aggressive triple-negative breast cancers survive harsh conditions by changing how they make proteins. This project will study a non-standard, cap-dependent translation mechanism that may keep certain metabolism-related messages active when normal protein production is shut down. Researchers will use breast cancer cell lines and models that mimic stress to identify which metabolic mRNAs are maintained or upregulated and how that supports invasion and therapy resistance. The aim is to connect these protein-making changes to features of metastasis and chemoresistance in TNBC.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new targets for drugs to block metastasis or overcome chemotherapy resistance in TNBC.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows cancer cells can use alternative protein-production pathways under stress, but applying this specifically to TNBC metabolism and metastasis is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Herbert H. Lehman College
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: De la Parra, Columba — Herbert H. Lehman College
- Study coordinator: De la Parra, Columba
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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.