Blocking PELP1 to improve treatment for triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: Targeting PELP1 oncogenic functions in DNA repair for treating triple negative breast cancer
Funded at South Texas Veterans Health Care System · NIH-11213962 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests a new drug that blocks PELP1 to help DNA-targeting chemotherapy work better for people with triple-negative breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | South Texas Veterans Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2023 |
| Project end | September 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX006280-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11213962 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with triple-negative breast cancer—especially those with aggressive, metastatic, or treatment‑resistant tumors and patients receiving care in VA centers—would be the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with hormone-receptor–positive or HER2-positive breast cancers, or tumors that do not depend on PELP1, may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will work with a PELP1-blocking compound called SMIP34 to see how it affects DNA repair and replication stress in triple-negative breast cancer. They will study tumor cells and animal models to learn whether blocking PELP1 makes topoisomerase inhibitor chemotherapy more effective. The team aims to understand mechanisms of resistance so they can design drug combinations that kill aggressive tumors. If lab results look promising, the work could lead toward trials involving patients, particularly veterans seen at VA centers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make existing chemotherapies more effective against triple-negative breast cancer and help overcome treatment resistance.
How similar studies have gone: Topoisomerase inhibitors are already used for TNBC, but combining them with a first-in-class PELP1 inhibitor is a novel strategy with encouraging lab data yet unproven in people.
Where this research is happening
-
South Texas Veterans Health Care System
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vadlamudi, Ratna K — South Texas Veterans Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Vadlamudi, Ratna K
Related research
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Genomic study to understand how genetics and epigenetics shape triple-negative breast cancer in African ancestry
This study looks at how inherited genes and gene activity affect triple-negative breast cancer in people of African ancestry to better understand why outcomes can be worse.
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Co-Targeting IL-6 and CDK4/6 to Prevent TNBC in Women Veterans
A study aims to block two cancer-promoting pathways (IL-6 and CDK4/6) to prevent or reduce progression of triple-negative breast cancer in women veterans.
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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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
A new peptide therapy to help treat metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
A new peptide therapy called PEG-FUD is being tested to help treat metastatic triple-negative breast cancer by normalizing the tumor environment to improve treatment delivery.
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.