Stopping breast cancer spread from bone into the brain's lining
Identifying and exploiting therapeutic vulnerabilities of tumor-host interactions that drive bone-to-meninges breast cancer metastasis
This project aims to block how breast cancer cells move from bone marrow into the membranes around the brain to prevent and treat leptomeningeal metastases in people with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11164674 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers found a pathway cancer cells use to crawl from vertebral and skull bone marrow into the leptomeninges (the membranes around the brain and spinal cord) by traveling along the outside of special blood vessels. The team will study the interactions between tumor cells and the local bone/meningeal environment, focusing on molecules like laminin and the integrin α6 receptor that help cells stick and move. They will use laboratory models (including mouse models) and human-derived samples to pinpoint weaknesses in this route. Promising targets will be tested with interventions designed to block cell migration and reduce or prevent fatal leptomeningeal disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast cancer who have leptomeningeal metastases or who are at high risk for cancer spread to the meninges would be the most relevant patients for the results of this work.
Not a fit: Patients without breast cancer or whose metastases do not involve the bone-to-meningeal route are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific line of research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that stop or slow breast cancer spread into the brain's lining and reduce rapid neurologic decline and death from leptomeningeal metastases.
How similar studies have performed: This project builds on the lab's recent discovery of the bone-to-meningeal trafficking pathway in mice, but targeted therapies for this specific route remain largely untested and are novel.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sipkins, Dorothy a — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Sipkins, Dorothy a
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.