Understanding daily hormone rhythms in breast cancer
Official title: Central mechanisms of glucocorticoid circadian rhythm dysfunction in breast cancer
Funded at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory · NIH-11126566 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores why daily hormone cycles are disrupted in people with breast cancer and how restoring these cycles might help.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cold Spring Harbor, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $460,829 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA286651-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11126566 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is relevant to patients with breast cancer who experience disrupted daily hormone rhythms.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without breast cancer or those whose hormone rhythms are not affected by their cancer may not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
Many people with breast cancer experience changes in their natural daily hormone rhythms, specifically with glucocorticoids like cortisol, which can affect their quality of life and how long they live. This project aims to uncover the brain mechanisms that cause these rhythms to become 'blunted' or 'flat' in breast cancer. Researchers are using advanced techniques in preclinical models to understand how the brain's control center for these hormones, called the HPA-axis, is affected. By identifying these central mechanisms, we hope to find new ways to restore healthy hormone rhythms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that improve the quality of life and extend the lives of patients with breast cancer by normalizing their daily hormone cycles.
How similar studies have gone: While the blunting of glucocorticoid rhythms in breast cancer patients is a known clinical finding, the underlying central brain mechanisms are not well understood, making this a novel area of exploration.
Where this research is happening
-
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Cold Spring Harbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Borniger, Jeremy — Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Study coordinator: Borniger, Jeremy
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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.