Targeting how breast cancer cells survive after they detach
Mitophagy-Mediated Cell Death in Mammary Tumorigenesis
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME · NIH-11210492
This work looks at ways to make detached breast cancer cells die so fewer people with breast cancer develop metastasis.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NOTRE DAME, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11210492 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
The team is studying what happens when breast cancer cells lose contact with their surroundings and begin to spread. In lab-grown 3-D cell models and in mice, researchers will track damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a recycling process in cells called mitophagy. They will test which pathways help detached cancer cells survive and try interventions that push those cells toward death. The goal is to find molecular targets that could be used to develop drugs to stop early metastatic cells.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast cancer, particularly those at higher risk of metastasis or whose tumors show features linked to cell detachment, would be the most relevant population for future clinical work based on this research.
Not a fit: People without breast cancer or those with low-risk localized disease are unlikely to get direct benefit from this laboratory-focused work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal new targets for therapies that selectively kill metastatic or circulating breast cancer cells before they form new tumors.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies have shown that changing ROS levels and cell-death pathways can kill cancer cells in models, but turning those findings into proven human treatments remains mostly unproven.
Where this research is happening
NOTRE DAME, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME — NOTRE DAME, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: SCHAFER, ZACHARY T. — UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
- Study coordinator: SCHAFER, ZACHARY T.
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.
Conditions: Breast Cancer Cell