Midasin: a possible marker for hormone therapy–resistant breast cancer
Official title: Research Project-1: Midasin, A Novel Biomarker for Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer
Funded at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ · NIH-11413495 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether a protein called midasin can help identify and explain breast cancers that stop responding to hormone treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tallahassee, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 1997 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $224,828 |
| NIH project number | 5U54MD007582-41 |
| Project ID | NIH-11413495 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer, especially those whose tumors have become resistant to aromatase inhibitors or other endocrine therapies, or patients willing to donate tumor tissue or clinical data.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non–hormone-driven breast cancers, such as triple‑negative disease, are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
This project focuses on midasin, a protein found at higher levels in some estrogen receptor–positive breast cancers that become resistant to endocrine therapies. Scientists will study how changing midasin levels alters cancer cell behavior using laboratory models and tumor samples, and will map the genes and pathways midasin affects. They will compare tumors that remain sensitive to aromatase inhibitors with those that are resistant to see if midasin marks or drives resistance. The goal is to find clues that could lead to tests or treatments to restore hormone sensitivity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to tests that predict which tumors will stop responding to hormone therapy and suggest new ways to make resistant tumors sensitive again.
How similar studies have gone: Biomarker research in endocrine resistance has had mixed clinical success, and targeting midasin is a newer approach with promising early laboratory data but not yet tested in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ
Tallahassee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tilghman, Syreeta L — Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ
- Study coordinator: Tilghman, Syreeta L
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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.