How breast cancer cell stiffness helps immune cells find and kill metastases
MECHANOSURVEILLANCE IN BREAST CANCER METASTASIS
This project tests whether making metastatic breast cancer cells stiffer or changing their stiffness helps the immune system spot and destroy them in people with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11168957 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a person affected by breast cancer, this work looks at how physical changes in cancer cells — especially how 'stiff' they are — affect the immune system’s ability to attack them. Researchers focus on molecules called MRTFA/B and calcium channels that seem to make cells stiffer and trigger immune recognition. They will use laboratory models, animal studies, and analyses of human tumor samples to follow how stiffness influences metastatic spread and immune killing. The ultimate aim is to identify targets that could make metastatic cells more visible to immune cells and inform new treatment approaches.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with metastatic breast cancer or patients willing to donate tumor tissue or blood samples for research, particularly those whose cancer has spread.
Not a fit: Patients without metastatic disease or whose tumors do not use the MRTFA-related stiffness pathway may not see direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new ways to make metastatic breast cancer more vulnerable to immune attack and potentially improve outcomes for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies have suggested that tumor stiffness can affect immune killing, but translating these findings into treatments is still largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, UNITED STATES
- University of Illinois at Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ER, Ekrem Emrah — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: ER, Ekrem Emrah
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.