Metformin to lower inflammation in insulin-resistant breast cancer survivors
Pilot Project 1
Insulin-resistant breast cancer survivors will take standard metformin to try to lower inflammation and alter immune cell activity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Duarte, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177853 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited as a breast cancer survivor with insulin resistance to take metformin under City of Hope care. Doctors will collect blood samples before and after treatment and use advanced single-cell RNA and ATAC sequencing to see how immune cells and gene activity change. The project is run at City of Hope with their IRB and staff while also training University of California, Riverside investigators and technicians in running therapeutic trials and lab methods. Participation focuses on safe, standard-of-care metformin plus research blood draws and lab testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are breast cancer survivors who have evidence of insulin resistance, meet metformin safety criteria, and can attend visits at City of Hope or its affiliated clinics.
Not a fit: People without insulin resistance, those currently receiving systemic cancer treatments, those with contraindications to metformin (for example severe kidney disease), or those unable to travel to City of Hope are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could show that metformin reduces harmful inflammation and immune changes in insulin-resistant breast cancer survivors, which might improve health and lower recurrence risk.
How similar studies have performed: Metformin has been studied for metabolic and anti-inflammatory effects with some supportive data, but using single-cell and ATAC-seq to map immune changes in breast cancer survivors is a newer, more detailed approach.
Where this research is happening
Duarte, United States
- Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope — Duarte, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seewaldt, Victoria L. — Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
- Study coordinator: Seewaldt, Victoria L.
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.