Gut microbes and the early spread of hormone-receptor–positive breast cancer
Official title: Gut microbiome-mediated differences within the pre-malignant mammary tissue environment enhance early breast tumor metastasis
Funded at University of Virginia · NIH-11262931 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether changes in gut bacteria help hormone-receptor–positive (HR+) breast cancer spread early in people with HR+ tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $447,799 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA262634-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11262931 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with hormone-receptor–positive (ER+/PR+, HER2−) breast cancer, especially those interested in research about factors that influence early metastatic spread or willing to provide stool or tissue samples, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
People with other breast cancer subtypes (HER2-positive or triple-negative) or those with widespread metastatic disease may not directly benefit from findings focused on HR+ early spread.
What this research studies
The research team is studying how an imbalanced gut microbiome might change the normal breast tissue and make it easier for HR+ cancer cells to leave the breast and travel to other organs. They will use laboratory and animal models to follow tumor cell spread and to study cells and signals in the breast tissue that change when the microbiome is altered. The team will focus on immune cells called mast cells and related molecular pathways that may be triggered by microbiome changes. Findings may also guide testing of microbiome- or immune-targeted approaches to lower the risk of early spread.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or reduce early metastatic spread in people with HR+ breast cancer by targeting the gut microbiome or tissue immune responses.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies, including the investigators' prior work, show gut microbiome imbalance can promote tumor cell dissemination, but translating microbiome-targeted prevention to people is still new and largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rutkowski, Melanie R — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Rutkowski, Melanie R
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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.