Progesterone Receptor Signaling and Dormancy in ER+ Breast Cancer
Official title: Progesterone Receptor (PR) Signaling Cross Talk Drives ER+ Breast Cancer
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11363974 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how hormone signals in ER+/PR+ breast cancer influence cancer cell dormancy and later recurrence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | February 13, 2020 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $652,355 |
| NIH project number | 2R01CA229697-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11363974 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with ER+/PR+ breast cancer, including those with advanced disease or a history of dormancy/late relapse, who may benefit from future dormancy-targeted therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without ER/PR-positive breast cancer or those not at risk of dormancy-related relapse may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project examines how estrogen and progesterone receptors interact with the DREAM complex to control whether breast cancer cells stay dormant or become active again. By using models of breast cancer and analyzing how these signals affect cell cycle genes, the team hopes to identify mechanisms that trigger late relapse. The findings could point to new strategies to keep dormant cells from reawakening and causing metastases. The work is grounded in hormone-driven cancer biology with potential implications for patients with ER+/PR+ disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new approaches to prevent late recurrence of ER+/PR+ breast cancer by targeting dormancy pathways.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work supports a link between hormone receptor signaling and dormancy mechanisms, but translating these findings to durable clinical strategies remains ongoing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lange, Carol a — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Lange, Carol a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
ER+ Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis in a Real Body Environment
This grant aims to understand why estrogen receptor alpha–positive breast cancer often spreads to bone and how the bone environment and immune system affect treatment resistance.
-
Targeting RAGE to fight obesity-related ER+ breast cancer and its drug resistance
A scientist team will explore how obesity-related inflammation involving RAGE and estrone interacts with ER+ breast cancer to drive growth and spread, aiming to find strategies to overcome therapy resistance.
-
Understanding estrogen signals in bone to stop ER+ breast cancer spread
This NIH grant aims to uncover how estrogen signals inside bone help ER-positive breast cancer cells grow and spread, with the goal of finding better ways to prevent bone metastasis.
-
Heavy Metals and Breast Cancer Treatment Resistance
This project explores how exposure to heavy metals might make ER+ breast cancer harder to treat and how we might overcome this challenge.
-
Turning ER-positive breast cancer into a viral target for immune attack
This project aims to wake up viral-like bits inside ER-positive breast cancer cells so the immune system can spot and attack them.
-
Improving CDK7-targeted treatments for estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancer
This project looks at whether drugs that block CDK7, alone or combined with other medicines, can overcome resistance in ER+ breast cancers that no longer respond to hormone therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors.
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.