Preventing and treating breast cancer spread to the brain and bones
Targeting brain and bone metastases in metastatic breast cancer for improved patient survival
New brain‑penetrating drug versions and bone‑targeted drug conjugates for people with metastatic breast cancer that has spread to the brain or bones.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11312597 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your breast cancer has spread to the brain or bones, researchers are working to make improved versions of a drug related to sabizabulin that can reach the brain and to attach drugs to bone‑seeking molecules so they concentrate in bone lesions. The team will chemically optimize a brain‑penetrant scaffold called SB‑216 to make compounds that overcome resistance to common chemotherapy (taxanes). They will also make drug‑bisphosphonate conjugates designed to target and slow bone metastases. These new compounds will be tested in lab cells and animal tumor models to measure brain penetration, anti‑tumor activity, and ability to bypass drug resistance as a step toward future clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with metastatic breast cancer involving the brain or bones, particularly those with tumors resistant to taxane chemotherapy, would be the intended beneficiaries.
Not a fit: People with early‑stage breast cancer, metastases only in other organs, or those ineligible for future clinical trials are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could produce treatments that better control brain and bone metastases and help patients whose cancers no longer respond to taxane chemotherapy.
How similar studies have performed: Related compound sabizabulin has shown promising activity in preclinical models and some clinical contexts against taxane‑resistant tumors, but the SB‑216 brain‑penetrant analogs and bone‑targeted conjugates are largely novel and remain at the preclinical stage.
Where this research is happening
Memphis, United States
- University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr — Memphis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Wei — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: Li, Wei
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.