Improving CDK4/6 therapy for liposarcoma by understanding resistance
Official title: Improving CDK4/6 inhibition therapy for patients with liposarcoma by understanding resistance
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11348992 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests a combination therapy to overcome resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors in patients with dedifferentiated liposarcoma and aims to improve treatment results.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 3, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $727,732 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA296835-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11348992 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults with dedifferentiated liposarcoma who are candidates for palbociclib-based therapy and can undergo biopsies for correlative studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not respond to CDK4/6 inhibition or who cannot tolerate the combination therapy may see little to no benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers plan a phase Ib/II clinical trial combining palbociclib with a MEK inhibitor (mirdametin) in patients with DDLS, along with in-depth laboratory analyses to map how cancer cells escape senescence and how this affects treatment. The study will look at cellular states, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, and the biology of geroconversion to understand resistance. By integrating correlative science, the trial seeks to identify biomarkers that predict response and to uncover new combination strategies that enhance efficacy. Patients will receive treatment and undergo biopsies and molecular testing to link clinical outcomes with biological changes in their tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the combination could enhance responses and delay resistance, potentially leading to longer-lasting control of liposarcoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that CDK4/6 inhibitors can be effective in DDLS and that resistance mechanisms are a key challenge; this study builds on those findings with a concrete combination strategy.
Where this research is happening
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Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tap, William D. — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Tap, William D.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving treatment for liposarcoma by understanding drug resistance
This study is looking to help patients with dedifferentiated liposarcoma by finding better ways to use a cancer treatment called CDK4/6 inhibitors, especially for those who don’t respond well to it, by testing a combination of two drugs, palbociclib and mirdametinib, to see if it can improve their treatment results.
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Finding biomarkers to predict treatment benefits for a specific type of cancer
This study is looking at a new treatment approach for people with a rare type of cancer called liposarcoma, by combining two medications to see if they can work better together, and it aims to find out which patients might benefit the most from this combination.
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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.