How the bone marrow controls hidden breast cancer cells
Bone marrow niche regulation of disseminated tumor cell dormancy, reactivation, and metastasis.
Seeing if bone marrow signals keep estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer cells asleep or wake them up, which matters for people at risk of late relapse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177724 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have ER+ breast cancer, this project uses mouse models, imaging of patient bone marrow samples, and lab-grown biomaterials to study how cancer cells hide in the bone marrow and later reactivate. Researchers will make a mouse model that mimics hormone-responsive breast cancer dormancy in bone and use 3D optical clearing and whole-bone imaging to find and characterize hidden tumor cells. They will also examine the spatial organization of the bone marrow from patient samples and build a biomaterial niche in the lab to test how local signals change tumor cell behavior. The overall aim is to identify the tumor cell subset and bone marrow signals that drive relapse so new prevention strategies can be designed.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer or breast cancer survivors, especially those willing to provide bone marrow samples or participate in clinic-based research, are the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Patients with non-ER+ breast cancers or other cancer types, and people unwilling or unable to provide bone marrow samples, are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to tests to detect high-risk dormant cells and new ways to keep them asleep, lowering chances of deadly metastatic relapse.
How similar studies have performed: Previous lab and animal studies support the idea that bone marrow can harbor dormant breast cancer cells, but translating those findings into patient-focused tests or therapies is still limited and evolving.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bushnell, Grace Gilmore — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Bushnell, Grace Gilmore
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.