How breast cancer cell-cycle paths drive resistance to hormone plus CDK4/6 therapy
Cell cycle paths as a framework for understanding drug resistance in tumor cell subpopulations
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · NIH-11284085
This project looks at how individual ER+/HER2- breast cancer cells move through the cell cycle to explain why some tumors resist anti-estrogen plus CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CHAPEL HILL, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11284085 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers are mapping the behavior of single breast cancer cells to see how different 'paths' through the cell cycle let some cells survive drug treatment. They measure more than 50 cell-cycle related proteins in individual cells and use computational methods to link those states over time. The team will create tumor models that show the small fraction of proliferating cells that drive treatment failure and test which cell-cycle paths are drug-sensitive or drug-resistant. The goal is to find markers or strategies that could help prevent or overcome resistance to current therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer—especially those receiving or planned for anti-estrogen therapy plus CDK4/6 inhibitors—are the most directly relevant group.
Not a fit: Patients with other breast cancer subtypes (for example HER2-positive or triple-negative) or those not treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors are less likely to see direct benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help predict which patients are likely to stop responding to CDK4/6 plus hormone therapy and point to ways to prevent or reverse that resistance.
How similar studies have performed: Clinical trials already show benefit from combining anti-estrogen and CDK4/6 inhibitors, but applying single-cell protein mapping to explain fractional resistance is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
CHAPEL HILL, UNITED STATES
- UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL — CHAPEL HILL, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: PURVIS, JEREMY — UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- Study coordinator: PURVIS, JEREMY
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 below.
Conditions: Breast Cancer Model, Breast Cancer Patient, Breast Cancer cell line