NIH-funded research R01 grant

Making HDAC6-targeted treatments work better for breast cancer

Official title: Investigating the Molecular Determinants Driving Response and Resistance to HDAC6 Targeted Therapy in Breast Cancer

Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11284009 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This work looks at how blocking HDAC6 affects breast cancers and finds which patients are most likely to benefit.

More Targeted Therapy research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project startMarch 5, 2024
Project endFebruary 28, 2029
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$569,181
NIH project number5R01CA274251-03
Project IDNIH-11284009 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates are people with breast cancer—especially metastatic cases—whose tumors test positive on the HDAC6‑score biomarker.

Less likely to help

People whose tumors have a low HDAC6‑score or who have cancers other than breast cancer are unlikely to benefit from HDAC6-targeted approaches.

What this research studies

If you join, researchers will use tumor samples, lab models, and past patient data to learn why some breast cancers respond to drugs that block HDAC6 while others resist them. They will use a validated HDAC6‑score (available through a New York CLIA test) to match tumor biology with response and study how blocking HDAC6 causes cMyc to be marked for destruction by the cell's proteasome. The team will also examine samples and results from a prior treatment combining the HDAC6 inhibitor ricolinostat with nab‑paclitaxel to find molecular signs of benefit or resistance. The findings would be used to help match people to HDAC6-based therapies and to design better treatment combinations.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify who will benefit from HDAC6-targeted drugs and guide better combination treatments for breast cancer.

How similar studies have gone: Earlier clinical work combining the HDAC6 inhibitor ricolinostat with nab‑paclitaxel was well tolerated and showed clinical activity in metastatic breast cancer, supporting further study.

Where this research is happening

  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
    New York, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Silva, Jose M — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Study coordinator: Silva, Jose M

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

  • Enhancing HER2-targeted therapy for resistant breast cancer

    This grant explores new ways to overcome resistance to HER2-targeted therapy in people with HER2-positive breast cancer.

    NIH research Lsu Health Sciences Center · New Orleans, United States · NIH-11457632

  • Overcoming Resistance to Targeted Therapy in Breast Cancer

    Researchers are studying why some breast cancers stop responding to targeted therapies and what can be done to overcome this resistance.

    NIH research Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · New York, United States · NIH-11396553

  • PET scans to track glutamine use in triple-negative breast cancer

    This project uses special PET scans with an amino-acid tracer to see how triple-negative breast cancers use glutamine so doctors can better match metabolism-targeted treatments to patients.

    NIH research University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11324557

  • Improving Targeted Therapy for Triple Negative Breast Cancer

    This project aims to develop a new way to deliver targeted medicines directly to triple-negative breast cancer tumors using special RNA molecules.

    NIH research Vanderbilt University · Nashville, UNITED STATES · NIH-11109596

  • Using PET imaging to understand glutamine metabolism in triple-negative breast cancer

    This study is looking at how a substance called glutamine affects triple-negative breast cancer to find better ways to treat it, using special imaging to see how much glutamine is in the cancer cells and helping doctors choose the best therapies for patients.

    NIH research University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11082216

  • Understanding how HDAC6 affects breast cancer treatment responses

    This study is looking at how a protein called HDAC6 affects breast cancer treatment, hoping to find out which patients might do better with new therapies that target this protein, so they can get more effective care.

    NIH research Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · New York, United States · NIH-11049020

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.