Using RET inhibitors to treat breast cancer that resists hormone therapy
Official title: Repurposing RET Inhibitors for Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11086762 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how a protein called RET affects breast cancer that doesn't respond to hormone treatments, and it hopes to find new ways to help patients by testing a special type of medicine that targets RET.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $203,026 |
| NIH project number | 5K08CA280388-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11086762 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer who have experienced resistance to endocrine therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other types of breast cancer or those who have not undergone endocrine therapy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of RET, a receptor tyrosine kinase, in breast cancer that is resistant to endocrine therapy. The study aims to understand how high levels of RET expression contribute to treatment failure in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. By utilizing breast cancer organoids, researchers will explore the mechanisms behind RET's influence on therapy resistance and test the effectiveness of RET inhibitors in enhancing treatment responses. Patients may benefit from new therapeutic strategies that target RET to improve outcomes in resistant cases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for patients with endocrine-resistant breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promise in targeting RET in other cancers, suggesting potential for success in this novel application for breast cancer.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Spanheimer, Philip M — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Spanheimer, Philip M
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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.