Stopping mutant p53-driven checkpoint failures in breast and ovarian cancer
Novel therapeutics for targeting checkpoint dysfunction in cancer
New drugs that block a protein partner of mutant p53 aim to help people with breast or ovarian cancers that are resistant to chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11258552 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are developing two new classes of drugs that disrupt the interaction between mutant p53 and TopBP1, a protein that lets cancer cells bypass key cell-cycle brakes. They will study how these drugs restore normal replication control in tumor cells and whether blocking the mutant p53–TopBP1 pathway reduces resistance to cisplatin. The team will also examine how mutant p53 interacts with ACTL6A and test drug combinations designed for breast and ovarian cancers. Lab work will include cell and animal models and experiments using tumor samples to see if these inhibitors could improve responses to existing therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with breast or ovarian cancer whose tumor testing shows mutant p53 and who have limited benefit from current platinum-based chemotherapy.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors do not carry mutant p53 or whose cancer is driven by unrelated resistance mechanisms are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these treatments could overcome chemo resistance and make standard drugs like cisplatin work better for patients with mutant p53 tumors.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory studies support the role of mutant p53 and TopBP1 in checkpoint failure, but TopBP1 inhibitors are a new approach that has not yet been proven in people.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Weei-Chin — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Lin, Weei-Chin
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.