How chemotherapy can change breast cancer spread to the liver and the immune system
Official title: Understanding the impact of chemotherapy on breast cancer metastasis and immune function in the liver
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11169000 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research will learn whether standard chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer changes immune cells in the liver and makes liver metastasis more likely.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $481,921 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA279959-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11169000 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with triple-negative breast cancer, especially those receiving or recently treated with AC‑T chemotherapy or those with liver metastases who can donate blood or tissue samples.
✕Less likely to help
People with other types of cancer or who are not treated with AC‑T chemotherapy may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
You may be asked to give blood or tissue samples that researchers will study for immune and tumor changes after chemotherapy. The team will compare those human samples with mouse models treated with the same anthracycline–cyclophosphamide plus taxane (AC‑T) chemotherapy to see how the liver environment is altered. They will measure signs of immune suppression and whether cancer cells become better able to grow in the liver after chemo. Findings from mice and patients will be connected to suggest ways to reduce liver metastasis risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to protect immune cells or adjust treatments to lower the chance of liver metastasis and improve outcomes for people with triple-negative breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show chemotherapy can reduce anti-tumor immune cells and that liver metastases often respond poorly to immunotherapy, but directly linking AC‑T chemotherapy to increased liver metastasis is a newer area with limited direct evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcallister, Sandra S — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Mcallister, Sandra S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how chemotherapy affects breast cancer spread and liver immunity
A research project looks at how standard breast cancer chemotherapy may change the immune system and cancer spread, especially to the liver, in people with aggressive breast cancer.
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Investigating how chemotherapy affects breast cancer spread and immune function in the liver
This study is looking at how chemotherapy affects the immune system and the spread of triple-negative breast cancer, with the hope of finding out how these treatments might change the way new immune therapies work for patients.
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A 3D ultrasound scanner to see early chemotherapy response in breast cancer
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Prolactin signaling and brain metastasis in HER2-positive breast cancer
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ER+ Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis in a Real Body Environment
This grant aims to understand why estrogen receptor alpha–positive breast cancer often spreads to bone and how the bone environment and immune system affect treatment resistance.
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Stable, ultra-tight peptides to block EphB4 and stop TNBC spread
A new peptide-based approach aims to block a cancer molecule called EphB4 to prevent metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer, especially in African American women.
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.