Tubulin microtentacles on detached breast cells
Tubulin microtentacles in detached mammary epithelial cells
Researchers are exploring drugs that block tiny tubulin 'microtentacles' on detached breast cancer cells to help stop those cells from clustering and spreading in people with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11170497 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Scientists are studying microscopic tubulin 'microtentacles' that form on breast cancer cells when they detach and float in the bloodstream. They will use drugs that change how the cell's actin cortex contracts and measure effects on microtentacles and cell stickiness with advanced microscopes and mechanical tests. Promising drugs will be tried in zebrafish and mouse models and on tumor cells taken from patients to see if they reduce cell clustering and reattachment. The team will also test blockers of TRPM8 and calcium signaling to see if altering mechanotransduction affects microtentacle formation and function.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with breast cancer who are willing to provide tumor tissue or blood samples for laboratory studies, especially those with recurrent or metastatic disease.
Not a fit: People without breast cancer or those whose disease is fully removed and not expected to shed circulating tumor cells are unlikely to see direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that reduce circulating tumor cell clustering and lower the risk of breast cancer metastasis.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies, including work by this team in mice, showed microtentacles help circulating tumor cells cluster, but targeting them with these specific kinase and mechanotransduction blockers is a novel approach still in early testing.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- University of Maryland Baltimore — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martin, Stuart S — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Martin, Stuart S
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.