Following neural stem cells that target breast cancer spread in the brain
Official title: Spatial and Temporal Tracking of Neural Stem Cells Migration to Brain Metastases of Breast Cancer using High Resolution Imaging
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11238077 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will build high-resolution, non-invasive imaging to watch therapeutic neural stem cells move to breast cancer brain metastases to support better-targeted treatments for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $666,186 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA297777-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238077 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The eventual trials would most likely enroll patients with breast cancer that has spread to the brain, especially those with multiple metastatic lesions not amenable to surgery.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without brain metastases or those whose primary cancer is not breast cancer are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project in the near term.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, scientists are engineering neural stem cells that can carry anti-cancer antibodies and using advanced imaging to see exactly where and when those cells go inside the brain. The team will test these approaches in preclinical models of breast cancer brain metastases to map stem cell migration over time and space. The goal is to create reliable, non-invasive ways to monitor these therapeutic cells in the complex brain environment. Although the current work uses animal models, the methods aim to enable future clinical tracking and safer delivery of stem-cell-based therapies to people with brain metastases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could let doctors track and guide stem-cell therapies to brain metastases, improving precision and possibly reducing the need for whole-brain radiation and its side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Previous preclinical and early clinical work shows neural stem cells can home to brain tumors and deliver therapies, but reliable, non-invasive high-resolution tracking inside the brain is still largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Balyasnikova, Irina V — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Balyasnikova, Irina V
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Rational approaches to improve treatment for breast cancer that has spread to the brain
Aimed at boosting how well a HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate works for people whose breast cancer has spread to the brain.
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Understanding how brain metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer is shaped by tumor-immune interactions
A patient-focused program aims to learn why TNBC spreads to the brain and how the immune system interacts with those cancer cells, with a focus on women of African ancestry.
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Stopping RET-driven breast cancer spread to the brain
This project looks at whether blocking the RET protein can slow or stop breast cancer that has spread to the brain.
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Better drug delivery for breast cancer that has spread to the brain
New methods to deliver cancer-fighting drugs into the brain for people whose breast cancer has spread there.
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Tracking how neural stem cells move to brain tumors in breast cancer patients
This study is looking at how special brain cells called neural stem cells move towards tumors in the brains of breast cancer patients, with the hope of using these cells to deliver better treatments directly to the tumors.
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Improving treatment for breast cancer that has spread to the brain
Trying antibody-drug combinations and immune-targeting drugs to help people with HER2-positive or HER2-low breast cancer that has spread to the brain.
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.