Bone-targeted epigenetic therapy to prevent breast cancer spread to bone and beyond
Official title: Modulation of Epigenetic Target in the Bone to Treat Breast Cancer Metastasis
Funded at Rice University · NIH-11333326 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new treatment approach aims to use bone-seeking epigenetic inhibitors to stop breast cancer from growing in bone and spreading to other organs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rice University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | July 3, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $652,042 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA277838-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11333326 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with breast cancer at risk for or currently developing bone metastases, particularly those whose disease involves bone lesions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that do not metastasize to bone or who cannot tolerate targeted bisphosphonate therapies may derive no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on breast cancer that has a tendency to spread to bone. Researchers are developing bone-targeting epigenetic drugs by attaching inhibitors to bisphosphonates so they concentrate in bone tissue. They will test these compounds in models that mimic bone metastasis and metastasis-to-metastasis spread, using a bone-directed delivery method called intra-iliac artery injection. The work involves collaboration between Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine to evaluate efficacy against bone micrometastases and subsequent seeding to other organs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with breast cancer could have therapies that better control or prevent bone metastases and their spread.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data suggest bone-targeted epigenetic inhibitors can bind bone tissue and reduce metastatic seeding in models, showing promise but needing confirmation in broader studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Rice University
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xiao, Han — Rice University
- Study coordinator: Xiao, Han
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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.