Targeting RAGE to fight obesity-related ER+ breast cancer and its drug resistance
Official title: Targeting RAGE in tumor and TME to oppose inflammation and drug resistance in obesity associated ER+ breast cancer
Funded at Georgetown University · NIH-11364105 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist team will explore how obesity-related inflammation involving RAGE and estrone interacts with ER+ breast cancer to drive growth and spread, aiming to find strategies to overcome therapy resistance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgetown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | July 7, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $532,533 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA276587-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11364105 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Postmenopausal women with ER+ breast cancer, especially those with obesity or metabolic inflammation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without obesity-related inflammation or ER+ breast cancer not driven by the RAGE pathway may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at why obesity increases risk and worsens outcomes for postmenopausal ER+ breast cancer. Researchers will study the signaling interactions between estrogen, inflammation, and the RAGE pathway in both cancer cells and surrounding fat tissue. They will test how these interactions promote cancer stem cell expansion and metastasis, and whether blocking RAGE can improve responses to anti-estrogen therapy. The work will involve lab experiments with cancer cells and mouse models to understand the tumor microenvironment and test potential inhibitors like TTP488. Results could identify new angles to prevent progression and metastasis in obese patients with ER+ breast cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to new approaches that reduce metastasis and resistance to hormone therapy in obese patients with ER+ breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest RAGE and NF-κB pathways can promote cancer progression; this project extends that to obesity-associated ER+ breast cancer and therapy resistance.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgetown University
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hudson, Barry Ian — Georgetown University
- Study coordinator: Hudson, Barry Ian
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Blocking Inflammation and Drug Resistance in Obesity-Related Breast Cancer
This project explores how inflammation linked to obesity makes estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer more aggressive and resistant to treatment.
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Investigating how obesity affects breast cancer growth and treatment resistance
This study is looking at how being overweight might raise the risk of a certain type of breast cancer in women after menopause, and it aims to find new ways to improve treatment by understanding how inflammation and hormones play a role in this connection.
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FABP5: How fats in obesity may drive triple negative breast cancer
A study exploring how a fat‑binding protein called FABP5 helps obesity-related fats push the spread of aggressive breast cancer in models that resemble human disease.
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ER+ Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis in a Real Body Environment
This grant aims to understand why estrogen receptor alpha–positive breast cancer often spreads to bone and how the bone environment and immune system affect treatment resistance.
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How fat in our bodies may link obesity to breast cancer risk through A-FABP
This grant looks at how a protein called A-FABP helps obesity from high-fat diets increase the risk of breast cancer, with potential targets for prevention.
-
How a mother's obesity might affect her child’s breast cancer risk through the gut
This study investigates whether maternal obesity changes a child’s gut bacteria in a way that could increase breast cancer risk later in life.
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.