Improving treatment for breast cancer that has spread to the brain
Official title: Project 2: Rational approaches to improve treatment outcomes of patients with breast cancer brain metastases
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11015467 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Trying antibody-drug combinations and immune-targeting drugs to help people with HER2-positive or HER2-low breast cancer that has spread to the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2013 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $277,223 |
| NIH project number | 2P50CA168504-11 |
| Project ID | NIH-11015467 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with breast cancer that has spread to the brain, particularly those with HER2-positive or HER2-low tumors and tumors showing PTEN loss.
✕Less likely to help
People without brain metastases, those with non-HER2 breast cancers, or patients who do not meet trial safety or eligibility requirements may not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project focuses on therapies for breast cancer brain metastases using antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) such as trastuzumab deruxtecan and combinations with drugs that boost immune response. Researchers will use patient-derived tumor samples, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), and genetically engineered mouse models to find combinations that work best against brain lesions. The team will study how ADCs cross the disrupted blood-tumor barrier in brain metastases and test whether blocking PI3Kβ can improve anti-tumor immunity in tumors with PTEN loss. Promising combinations will be moved into clinical trials so people with brain metastases can potentially enroll.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve control of brain metastases and reduce symptoms or extend survival for patients with HER2-positive or HER2-low breast cancer involving the brain.
How similar studies have gone: Antibody-drug conjugates like trastuzumab deruxtecan have improved outcomes in metastatic breast cancer, but applying ADCs specifically to active brain metastases is promising yet still relatively new because many prior trials excluded these patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Nancy U — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Lin, Nancy U
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Rational approaches to improve treatment for breast cancer that has spread to the brain
Aimed at boosting how well a HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate works for people whose breast cancer has spread to the brain.
-
Understanding how brain metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer is shaped by tumor-immune interactions
A patient-focused program aims to learn why TNBC spreads to the brain and how the immune system interacts with those cancer cells, with a focus on women of African ancestry.
-
Stopping RET-driven breast cancer spread to the brain
This project looks at whether blocking the RET protein can slow or stop breast cancer that has spread to the brain.
-
Following neural stem cells that target breast cancer spread in the brain
Researchers will build high-resolution, non-invasive imaging to watch therapeutic neural stem cells move to breast cancer brain metastases to support better-targeted treatments for patients.
-
Better drug delivery for breast cancer that has spread to the brain
New methods to deliver cancer-fighting drugs into the brain for people whose breast cancer has spread there.
-
Tracking how neural stem cells move to brain tumors in breast cancer patients
This study is looking at how special brain cells called neural stem cells move towards tumors in the brains of breast cancer patients, with the hope of using these cells to deliver better treatments directly to the tumors.
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.