Combining antibody-linked cancer medicines for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: Project 1: Incorporating antibody drug conjugates into mechanism-based combinations to target metastatic breast cancer
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11015466 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether pairing antibody-linked cancer drugs with other targeted treatments can help people with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer get better responses with fewer side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2013 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $426,688 |
| NIH project number | 2P50CA168504-11 |
| Project ID | NIH-11015466 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who are eligible for antibody-drug conjugate therapy and can receive care at participating centers are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with hormone-receptor or HER2-positive breast cancers, those with very early-stage disease, or patients who cannot tolerate the study drugs are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
This program focuses on metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and builds on antibody-drug conjugates such as sacituzumab govitecan. Researchers will study combinations of ADCs with other targeted agents (for example PARP inhibitors) and refine dosing schedules to try to widen the treatment benefit while limiting toxicity. Lab work includes gene-editing (CRISPR) screens and proteasome-related studies to find why tumors resist treatment and to discover biomarkers from patient samples. Promising combinations will be tested in early-phase clinical trials at Dana-Farber and partner centers so patients can potentially join clinical testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help more people with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer respond to therapy and may reduce harmful side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Antibody-drug conjugates like sacituzumab govitecan have already improved outcomes in metastatic TNBC, but combining ADCs with other targeted drugs is still an early-stage approach with only preliminary clinical data.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ellisen, Leif W — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Ellisen, Leif W
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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.