Enzyme-activated peptides to target drug-resistant breast cancer
Official title: New approach based on enzyme stimulating of peptides for targeting drug resistance breast cancers
Funded at University of North Texas · NIH-11146538 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work develops enzyme-triggered peptides that aim to kill triple-negative and drug-resistant breast cancer cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of North Texas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Denton, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $180,300 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM150848-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146538 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with triple-negative breast cancer or tumors that have become resistant to hormone or HER2-targeted therapies would be the likely candidates for future trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors depend on hormone receptors or HER2, or whose cancers lack active EYA enzyme, may not benefit from this enzyme-activated approach.
What this research studies
Researchers design short peptides that are changed by an enzyme called Eyes Absent (EYA) inside certain breast cancer cells so the peptides self-assemble into tiny fibers that trigger cancer cell death. The team will test these peptides in lab-grown 3D cell cultures that mimic human tumors and use peptide sequences that EYA can de-phosphorylate. Early lab data show that adding a single amino acid can enable the peptide to be converted by EYA and form nanostructures that harm cancer cells. The approach is aimed at cancers that do not respond to hormone or HER2-targeted drugs and could guide future patient treatments if it progresses to trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to a new targeted treatment that kills triple-negative and drug-resistant breast cancer cells while limiting damage to normal tissue.
How similar studies have gone: Self-assembling peptide therapies have shown promising laboratory results in related settings, but using EYA-triggered peptide assembly in triple-negative breast cancer is novel and has not been tested in people.
Where this research is happening
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University of North Texas
Denton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Habibi, Neda — University of North Texas
- Study coordinator: Habibi, Neda
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.