How local tissue nutrients affect breast cancer spread
Project 3: The role of microenvironmental metabolites on metastatic progression
Researchers are exploring whether the nutrients and small molecules in different tissues help or hinder breast cancer cells as they travel and form metastases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11163234 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project looks at how the chemical environment in distant organs affects breast cancer cells that leave the primary tumor. Using laboratory breast cancer cells and animal models, the team will map which metabolites are present in target organs and how cancer cells adapt to scarce nutrients. They will use CRISPR gene-editing screens to turn off genes and find which metabolic pathways cancer cells need to survive and grow in new tissues. The goal is to mimic the conditions cancer cells face during spread and identify metabolic interactions between tumor and normal cells.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast cancer—especially those with tumors at risk of spreading—or patients willing to donate tumor or blood samples to research would be most relevant to this project.
Not a fit: Patients without breast cancer or those whose tumors do not rely on the metabolic pathways studied may not directly benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal metabolic weaknesses in metastatic breast cancer that lead to new treatments to slow or block cancer spread.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies have linked tumor metabolism to metastasis and early preclinical work supports targeting metabolic pathways, but turning these findings into effective patient therapies remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Rockefeller University — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Birsoy, Kivanc — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Birsoy, Kivanc
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.