Hormone-blocking treatment plus radiation to reduce breast cancer spread to the brain
Official title: Mechanisms of endocrine therapy and radiation synergism to decrease brain metastases
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11180134 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether combining hormone-blocking drugs with radiation helps the immune system stop breast cancer from spreading to the brain in women, especially younger patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $564,054 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA290813-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180134 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with metastatic breast cancer who are at risk of or already have brain metastases—especially younger or premenopausal patients and those with tumors influenced by estrogen signaling—would be the most relevant group.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors are not hormone-sensitive, who cannot receive radiation, or who have non-breast cancers are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers at the University of Colorado will study how the hormone estradiol affects brain support cells and the immune response around tumors using laboratory and animal models. They plan to give endocrine therapies (like aromatase inhibitors) together with brain radiation in immunocompetent models to see if the combination boosts antigen presentation and immune cell recruitment to block brain metastases. The team will examine astrocytes and tumor markers such as S100A4 and IRF with molecular analyses of tumor and brain tissue. The goal is to use these lab findings to guide combining existing FDA-approved hormone drugs with radiation for patients with breast cancer brain metastases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to use existing hormone drugs plus radiation to reduce or slow brain metastases and improve outcomes for breast cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies and the team's preliminary data show promising synergy between endocrine therapy and radiation in immune-competent models, but clinical benefits for patients with brain metastases remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cittelly, Diana M. — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Cittelly, Diana M.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding and interrupting brain metastasis in cancer patients
A national research effort at Stanford aims to understand why cancer spreads to the brain and to develop ways to interrupt it, with the goal of improving survival and quality of life for people with cancer.
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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.
-
AI-driven automatic treatment planning for brain metastases radiotherapy
A new AI-based system helps plan precise stereotactic radiosurgery for people with multiple brain metastases.
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Endocrine therapy and radiation work together to reduce brain metastases
Aims to understand how hormone therapy and radiation together help the body fight breast cancer that has spread to the brain, especially in younger women.
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Personalized brain metastases risk map to guide radiotherapy
A new approach uses personal MRI data to predict where brain metastases might develop so radiation can target high-risk areas and spare healthy brain tissue.
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.