Understanding why breast cancer becomes resistant to chemotherapy and spreads
Role of ACER2 in cancer chemoresistance and metastasis
This project explores how a protein called ACER2 contributes to breast cancer becoming resistant to chemotherapy and spreading, aiming to find new ways to improve treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University New York Stony Brook NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stony Brook, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11124107 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many breast cancer patients receive chemotherapy before surgery, which can help make surgery possible. However, sometimes this chemotherapy can unexpectedly make the cancer harder to treat and more likely to spread. Our team is looking into a specific protein, ACER2, to understand its part in this process. We believe that by understanding how ACER2 works, we can develop new strategies to make chemotherapy more effective for breast cancer patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients at this stage, but future clinical applications would target breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy who experience resistance or metastasis.
Not a fit: Patients whose breast cancer does not involve the ACER2 pathway or who are not undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy may not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that prevent breast cancer from becoming resistant to chemotherapy and reduce its spread, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: While the role of ACER2 in cancer chemoresistance is a novel focus, other studies have shown success in targeting lipid pathways to influence cancer progression and treatment response.
Where this research is happening
Stony Brook, United States
- State University New York Stony Brook — Stony Brook, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mao, Cungui — State University New York Stony Brook
- Study coordinator: Mao, Cungui
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.