A new glucose-based strategy to fight diabetes-related breast cancer
Official title: A Novel Glucose Metabolic Reprogramming Strategy in Treating Diabetes-associated TNBC
Funded at Charles R. Drew University of Med & Sci · NIH-11425279 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist team is testing a new way to slow down aggressive diabetes-related breast cancer by changing how cancer cells process sugar.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Charles R. Drew University of Med & Sci NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $180,625 |
| NIH project number | 1R16CA317929-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11425279 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be patients with diabetes and triple-negative breast cancer or those with high blood glucose who could benefit from metabolic-targeted therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without TNBC or those whose cancer does not rely on altered glucose metabolism may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project focuses on triple-negative breast cancer, a hard-to-treat form, in the context of diabetes. It proposes using a microRNA, miR-206, to shut down a key sugar-transport gene (MCT4) that cancer cells use to manage lactic acid from high glucose uptake. The work combines lab studies on cancer cells with early ideas about how high glucose environments influence cancer metabolism, aiming to break the cancer cells’ glycolysis chain reaction. If successful, the approach could lead to new treatments that target cancer metabolism in patients with diabetes and TNBC.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the strategy works, it could lead to new metabolic therapies that slow or stop growth of diabetes-associated TNBC.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data suggest that targeting MCT4 and related metabolic pathways can reduce cancer cell survival in high-glucose conditions.
Where this research is happening
-
Charles R. Drew University of Med & Sci
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hao, Qiongyu — Charles R. Drew University of Med & Sci
- Study coordinator: Hao, Qiongyu
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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.