Investigating how breast cancer cells interact with fat cells in a 3D environment.
Official title: Characterizing breast cancer invasion and proliferation when co-aggregated with adipocytes in multicellular spheroids created with a custom bioreactor to augment cell-cell connectivity.
Funded at California State University San Marcos · NIH-11082360 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain types of breast cancer cells interact with fat cells in a more realistic 3D environment, which could help us understand how these interactions affect cancer growth and treatment resistance, ultimately aiming to find better ways to treat breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California State University San Marcos NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Marcos, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $111,750 |
| NIH project number | 5SC3GM144192-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11082360 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are women diagnosed with breast cancer, particularly those with triple negative or luminal A subtypes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-breast cancers or those who do not have the specific breast cancer subtypes being studied may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding how breast cancer cells, specifically triple negative and luminal A types, interact with different types of fat cells (adipocytes) in a three-dimensional setting. By using a custom bioreactor to create multicellular spheroids, the study aims to replicate the natural tumor microenvironment more accurately than traditional two-dimensional models. This approach allows researchers to observe how these interactions influence cancer growth and resistance to treatments, providing insights that could lead to improved therapeutic strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for breast cancer by targeting the interactions between cancer cells and fat cells.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results using 3D models to study cancer biology, indicating that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
California State University San Marcos
San Marcos, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Luna Lopez, Carlos — California State University San Marcos
- Study coordinator: Luna Lopez, Carlos
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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.