Blocking a cancer enzyme (FASN) to help PARP drugs work better in triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: Molecular basis and targeting of FASN in expanding PARPi utility for TNBC
Funded at University of Toledo Health Sci Campus · NIH-11249605 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries blocking the enzyme FASN to help PARP inhibitor drugs work better for people with triple-negative breast cancer, including those with BRCA changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Toledo Health Sci Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Toledo, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $525,119 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA288278-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249605 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future trials would be people with triple-negative breast cancer—especially those with BRCA1/2 mutations or tumors showing high FASN levels.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not depend on FASN or whose cancers use other resistance pathways may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you have triple-negative breast cancer, researchers aim to block a cancer enzyme called FASN to see whether that makes PARP inhibitor drugs more effective. They will study cancer cells, animal tumor models, and human tumor samples to learn how FASN affects DNA repair and resistance to PARP inhibitors. The team plans to test combinations of FASN inhibitors with approved PARP drugs and monitor tumor response and side effects. They will compare BRCA-mutant and non-BRCA tumors and look for markers that predict who benefits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let more people with triple-negative breast cancer benefit from PARP inhibitor drugs and reduce reliance on more toxic chemotherapies.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory studies have shown FASN blockade can induce cancer cell death and influence DNA repair, but combining FASN inhibitors with PARP inhibitors in TNBC remains largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
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University of Toledo Health Sci Campus
Toledo, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Jian-Ting — University of Toledo Health Sci Campus
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Jian-Ting
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.