Using mitochondrial cleanup to kill breast cancer cells
Mitophagy-Mediated Cell Death in Mammary Tumorigenesis
This work looks at whether changing how breast cancer cells handle damaged mitochondria and harmful oxygen molecules can make them die before they spread.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Notre Dame NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Notre Dame, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11164626 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have breast cancer, the team is studying how tumor cells survive when they lose contact with surrounding tissue and how that leads to dangerous reactive oxygen (ROS) buildup and a mitochondrial cleanup process called mitophagy. They use lab-grown 3-D cell cultures and mouse models to mimic tumor detachment and measure ROS, mitophagy activity, and cell survival. The researchers will test whether blocking or forcing mitophagy, or manipulating ROS, causes detached cancer cells to die instead of surviving to spread. Findings would point to molecular targets for future drugs aimed at eliminating cells that drive metastasis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast cancer—especially those with tumors at risk of spreading or who can donate tumor samples for research—would be most relevant to this line of work.
Not a fit: Patients with other types of cancer or those seeking immediate clinical treatments should not expect direct benefit from this lab-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to kill breast cancer cells that are about to spread, lowering the chance of metastatic disease.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies have linked ROS and mitophagy to cancer cell survival, but directly targeting mitophagy to kill breast cancer cells is still largely at the preclinical and exploratory stage.
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.