Targeting cell-division proteins (TTK and NEK2) for aggressive triple-negative breast cancer in Hispanic/Latina patients
Official title: Targeting centrosome‐mitotic kinases as a novel therapeutic approach against breast cancers in Hispanic/Latinas.
Funded at Ponce School of Medicine · NIH-11167427 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests drugs that block two cell-division proteins (TTK and NEK2) to try to slow aggressive triple-negative breast cancer in Hispanic/Latina patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ponce School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ponce, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,079,390 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA266046-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167427 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, particularly Hispanic/Latina patients or those from the Tampa and Puerto Rico catchment areas.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with hormone-receptor-positive or HER2-positive breast cancers, or whose tumors do not show TTK/NEK2 dysregulation, are unlikely to benefit from these specific targeted approaches.
What this research studies
As a patient, I would know the team is studying tumor samples from Tampa and Puerto Rico to see if TTK and NEK2 are linked to aggressive triple-negative breast cancer in Hispanic/Latina people. They will use tissue microarrays and lab assays to measure these proteins and their connections to chromosome instability and EMT. In lab models they will block TTK and NEK2 to see if that reduces cell division errors, migration, and invasion and whether it can restore sensitivity to drugs like Palbociclib. The researchers will compare results across different ancestral backgrounds to understand why outcomes are worse in patients with African genomic ancestry in their catchment areas.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new targeted therapies that slow tumor growth, reduce spread, and improve outcomes for Hispanic/Latina patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory studies by the team show that inhibiting TTK and NEK2 reduces migration and may restore drug responses in cells, but this approach has not yet been proven effective in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Ponce School of Medicine
Ponce, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Saavedra, Harold I — Ponce School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Saavedra, Harold I
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.