How breast cancer cells spread and their weak points in different organs
Project 2: Mechanochemical Mechanisms and Vulnerabilities of Individual and Collective Organ-Preferential Metastasis In Vivo
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · NIH-11182479
Researchers are looking at how breast cancer cells survive when they travel to other organs to find ways to make them die before forming new tumors.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CAMBRIDGE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11182479 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project uses live imaging in mice and computer modeling to watch how circulating breast cancer cells behave as they lodge in organs like the liver and skin. Scientists will examine how cell–cell sticking, the cell skeleton, enzymes that cut tissue, and squeezing of the cell nucleus help tumor cells survive and move into new sites. They will block or alter those mechanical and molecular systems to see which weaknesses increase cell death or prevent outgrowth. Results may point to new drug targets or tests to predict and stop metastatic spread.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast cancer, especially those at higher risk for or living with metastatic disease, might be candidates for future related trials or to donate tissue for this research.
Not a fit: Patients without breast cancer or those seeking immediate new treatments are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical, lab- and animal-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to new ways to stop or reduce breast cancer metastasis by targeting the physical and molecular tricks tumor cells use to survive.
How similar studies have performed: Similar animal and cell studies have shown that mechanical forces and adhesion influence metastasis, but translating these findings into human treatments remains at an early stage.
Where this research is happening
CAMBRIDGE, UNITED STATES
- MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY — CAMBRIDGE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: LEVINE, STUART S — MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- Study coordinator: LEVINE, STUART S
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 Cell