Finding new ways to help the immune system fight triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: Developing a novel therapeutic strategy for overcoming resistance to PD-1 blockade in Triple-negative breast cancer
Funded at Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope · NIH-11010798 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for ways to make treatments better for people with triple-negative breast cancer by finding new ways to help the immune system fight the cancer more effectively.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Duarte, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,645 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA282528-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11010798 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer who have not responded well to current PD-1 blockade therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-triple-negative breast cancer or those who have already had successful responses to PD-1 therapies may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on improving treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a type of cancer known for its aggressive nature and poor response to existing therapies. The team aims to enhance the effectiveness of PD-1 blockade therapy, which has shown limited success in TNBC patients. By investigating the role of specific immune cells and their interactions, the researchers hope to activate suppressed T cells, thereby boosting the immune response against the cancer. The study employs advanced techniques to understand the mechanisms behind immune suppression and seeks to develop novel therapeutic strategies to overcome these challenges.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, potentially improving survival rates and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been some success in using immune checkpoint inhibitors in other cancers, this specific approach to enhance PD-1 blockade in TNBC is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
Duarte, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Chunyan — Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Chunyan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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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.
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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.