Combining PARP and BET drugs to overcome resistance in ovarian cancer
Project 2: Combination PARPi-BETi to Overcome PARPi Resistance
This tests whether adding a BET-inhibitor drug can make PARP-resistant ovarian tumors respond again for women with recurrent ovarian cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11173694 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research will look at whether adding a BET blocker to PARP inhibitor treatment can make ovarian tumors that stopped responding to PARP drugs respond again. Your tumor biopsy and tissue samples may be analyzed for BRD4 (19p13) changes and other markers using techniques like ATAC-seq, and lab models will be used to test the drug combination. The team will test clinically relevant BET inhibitors together with PARP inhibitors in laboratory models to find which tumors are likely to respond. The results could point to biomarkers and help design future patient trials of the drug combination.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with recurrent high-grade ovarian cancer whose tumors no longer respond to PARP inhibitors, especially if their tumors show BRD4/19p13 alterations or related DNA-repair changes.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors are still controlled by PARP inhibitors, those without BRD4-driven changes, or people with very different tumor types are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could restore sensitivity to PARP inhibitors and provide a new treatment option for patients with PARP-resistant ovarian cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies and early-phase work suggest BET inhibitors can impair DNA repair and may re-sensitize tumors to PARP drugs, but combining them in patients remains largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mahdi, Haider — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Mahdi, Haider
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.