Adding BET inhibitors to immunotherapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer
Project 3: BET bromodomain inhibitor combinations in breast cancer
This project will see if adding BET inhibitors to immunotherapy and chemotherapy helps people with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and people with ER-positive breast cancer who no longer respond to CDK4/6 inhibitors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11015468 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are combining a new class of drugs called BET inhibitors with standard treatments like the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel and with immune checkpoint drugs (anti-PD-1) to try to overcome resistance in aggressive breast cancers. Much of the work uses laboratory and mouse models that mimic metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and ER-positive breast cancer that has become resistant to CDK4/6 inhibitors. The team will look at how these drug combinations change the tumor and immune cells, and study molecular signals tied to response or resistance. The goal is to identify combinations that increase immune cell infiltration into tumors and slow cancer growth so successful approaches can move toward patient trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer or people with ER-positive breast cancer whose disease no longer responds to CDK4/6 inhibitors.
Not a fit: People with other cancer types, early-stage breast cancer not requiring these therapies, or tumors that do not match these specific subtypes are unlikely to benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new combination treatments that overcome drug resistance and boost immune responses in hard-to-treat breast cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Related combinations have shown promise in preclinical models and early lab data, but using BET inhibitors with immunotherapy in patients is still largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Dana-Farber Cancer Inst — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Polyak, Kornelia — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Polyak, Kornelia
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.