Stopping immune-suppressing neutrophils to help treat metastatic breast cancer
Official title: Immunosuppression and Metabolic Rewiring in Tumor-infiltrating Neutrophils
Funded at University of Notre Dame · NIH-11324967 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are exploring whether blocking a neutrophil protein called Acod1 can weaken immune-suppressing neutrophils and make immunotherapy work better for people with metastatic breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Notre Dame NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Notre Dame, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $359,041 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA280097-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324967 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with metastatic breast cancer—especially those whose tumors show high neutrophil involvement or who have not responded to immune checkpoint therapies—would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with early-stage breast cancer or tumors that are not driven by neutrophil-mediated immune suppression are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team is focusing on a protein called Acod1 that is unusually active in neutrophils found inside metastatic breast tumors. They will use cell-level analyses (including single-cell RNA sequencing), genetic loss-of-function experiments, and preclinical cancer models to see how Acod1 helps neutrophils survive and suppress anti-tumor immunity. The researchers will test whether removing or inhibiting Acod1 reduces tumor neutrophils, lowers metastasis, and increases the effectiveness of immune checkpoint therapies. Results could point toward new treatments that combine neutrophil-targeting approaches with current immunotherapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make immunotherapies more effective for people with metastatic breast cancer by reducing immune-suppressing neutrophils.
How similar studies have gone: Targeting immune cell metabolism has shown promise in other immune cell types, but targeting Acod1 in tumor-infiltrating neutrophils is a new and largely untested approach in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lu, Xin — University of Notre Dame
- Study coordinator: Lu, Xin
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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.