Blocking B7-H4 protein changes to help treat breast cancer
Targeting posttranslational modifications of B7-H4 in carcinogenesis and therapy
This research looks at whether changing chemical tags on the B7-H4 protein can make breast cancers, including triple-negative types, respond better to chemotherapy and immune therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11303372 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I donate a tumor sample or allow my treatment data to be used, researchers will study how two chemical modifications—glycosylation (sugar attachments) and ubiquitination (degradation tags)—change the B7-H4 protein in breast cancer cells. They will analyze patient tumor datasets and run experiments in lab-grown cancer cells and animal models to see how those changes affect tumor growth and response to drugs. The team will study the enzymes AMFR and the STT3 complex that add or remove these modifications to learn whether blocking stabilizing changes can lower B7-H4 levels. The work is intended to identify approaches that could be moved into future clinical trials to improve responses to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast cancer—especially those with triple-negative tumors or tumors shown to have high B7-H4 expression—would be the most relevant candidates for related future trials or tissue-donation efforts.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors do not overexpress B7-H4 or who have cancers other than breast cancer are unlikely to benefit from interventions developed from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make some breast cancers more sensitive to chemotherapy and immune-based treatments and potentially improve outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Early laboratory and animal studies targeting B7-H4 and similar immune checkpoints show promise in boosting anti-tumor immunity, but clinical evidence for this specific approach is still limited and experimental.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wan, Yong — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Wan, Yong
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.