Blocking eIF4A1 to overcome drug-resistant triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: Targeting eIF4A1 in drug-resistant breast cancer stem-like cells
Funded at University of Toledo Health Sci Campus · NIH-11142442 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether stopping a protein called eIF4A1 can weaken drug-resistant breast cancer stem cells in people with aggressive triple-negative breast cancer.
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 | August 9, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,053,488 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA258682-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142442 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with triple-negative breast cancer, especially those with metastatic disease or tumors that have become resistant to chemotherapy, would be most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other breast cancer subtypes or tumors that do not show eIF4A1- or ABC transporter–driven resistance are less likely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If I have aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, the team will study how eIF4A1 helps cancer stem-like cells survive and pump out chemotherapy drugs. They will use laboratory models and likely analyze tumor samples to see how eIF4A1 controls key stem-cell genes and drug transport proteins. The researchers will test molecules that block eIF4A1 to see if those treatments make resistant cells more sensitive to standard chemotherapy. The goal is to find approaches that could prevent relapse by reducing the drug-resistant cells that drive metastasis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make chemotherapy more effective and lower the chance of relapse in metastatic or treatment-resistant triple-negative breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies targeting translation factors like eIF4A1 and related pathways have shown promise in lab models, but clinical evidence in patients remains limited and experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Toledo Health Sci Campus
Toledo, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Raman, Dayanidhi — University of Toledo Health Sci Campus
- Study coordinator: Raman, Dayanidhi
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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.