A new peptide therapy to help treat metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

This project focuses on a peptide therapy designed to loosen the stiff tumor surroundings that make TNBC hard to treat. By targeting fibronectin to normalize the extracellular matrix, the therapy aims to improve chemotherapy access and immune cell infiltration. The approach uses PEGylated FUD (PEG-FUD) shown to reach tumors effectively in animal models and to reduce tumor fibronectin without harming the rest of the body. If successful, this could make standard treatments like doxorubicin work better against aggressive TNBC. The work is conducted in pre-clinical mouse models at UW–Madison to gather data before potential human studies.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Madison, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Ponik, Suzanne Marie — University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Study coordinator: Ponik, Suzanne Marie

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

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• Co-Targeting IL-6 and CDK4/6 to Prevent TNBC in Women Veterans

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  NIH research Baltimore VA Medical Center · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11608792

• Linking heavy metal exposure to a tougher breast cancer type (TNBC)

  Aimed at understanding how heavy metals like cadmium might trigger a dangerous breast cancer type (TNBC) in people, especially those with BRCA1 risk, to identify possible future treatment strategies.

  NIH research University of Louisville · Louisville, United States · NIH-11567535

• Dormancy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: How Liver and Skin Metastases Go Quiet or Reactivate

  Researchers will study how dormant cancer cells in liver and skin metastases of triple-negative breast cancer become quiescent or wake up, using organ-on-chip models and single-cell analysis to map chromatin states.

  NIH research Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, United States · NIH-11531542

• Rac-enhanced CAR-Macrophages against TNBC

  A new cell therapy approach uses engineered macrophages with a CAR and Rac2 activation to target and kill triple-negative breast cancer cells expressing CSPG4.

  NIH research University of Louisville · Louisville, United States · NIH-11520503

• Photoacoustic imaging to tailor antibody-drug therapy for TNBC

  A non-invasive imaging approach using light-based sound waves (photoacoustic imaging) is being developed to guide and personalize antibody-drug conjugate therapy for women with triple-negative breast cancer.

  NIH research University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · Houston, United States · NIH-11445261

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.