How LMO2-positive cells help breast cancer spread
Official title: Molecular mechanisms regulating LMO2+ metastasis initiating cells
Funded at University of California Santa Cruz · NIH-11306063 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how LMO2-positive tumor cells respond to inflammation and drive metastasis in people with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Cruz NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Cruz, United States) |
| Project start | May 17, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $344,427 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA269754-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306063 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with breast cancer—especially those whose tumors show LMO2 expression or signs of inflammatory signaling—would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers other than breast cancer or whose tumors lack LMO2 expression are less likely to benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
Researchers use single-cell RNA sequencing of breast tumor samples and computational analysis to find a small population of LMO2-expressing cells. They will test LMO2’s role in promoting spread using lab models and human tumor models, including experiments that reduce LMO2 activity. The team will study how inflammatory signals like IL-6 and TNF-α activate these cells through STAT3. These steps aim to reveal molecular pathways that could be targeted to stop metastasis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that prevent or reduce breast cancer metastasis by targeting LMO2-driven cells or their inflammatory activation.
How similar studies have gone: Combining single-cell sequencing with functional lab models has identified metastasis-driving cells in other studies, but applying this strategy specifically to LMO2 in breast cancer is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sikandar, Shaheen — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Sikandar, Shaheen
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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.