Why some HER2-positive breast cancers survive targeted therapy
Official title: Molecular ontology of drug tolerant persisters in HER2 positive breast cancer - Resubmission - 1
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11251236 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for the specific cancer cells that survive HER2-targeted drugs in people with HER2-positive breast cancer to find ways to stop drug resistance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $703,389 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA264933-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251236 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with HER2-positive breast cancer, especially those receiving or who have received HER2-targeted drugs (such as TKIs) or showing early drug resistance, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors are not HER2-positive or who are not treated with HER2-targeted therapies are unlikely to be helped directly by this work.
What this research studies
Researchers are examining tumor cells from HER2-positive breast cancers and lab-grown cell models to find 'drug-tolerant persisters'—the rare cells that survive HER2-targeted drugs. They use genetic and molecular profiling to group surviving cells into 'luminal' or 'mesenchymal' types and track whether these cells come from dormant (G0) cells. The team also looks at tumor samples from patients treated with HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors to see if the same persister cells appear in people. By mapping the molecular features of these persisters, scientists hope to spot weak points that new therapies could target to stop resistance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that prevent relapse by eliminating the cells that survive HER2-targeted therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Related studies in EGFR-mutant lung cancer and BRAF-mutant melanoma have shown drug-tolerant persister cells can drive resistance, but applying these findings to HER2-positive breast cancer is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Skok, Jane Amanda — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Skok, Jane Amanda
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Enhancing HER2-targeted therapy for resistant breast cancer
This grant explores new ways to overcome resistance to HER2-targeted therapy in people with HER2-positive breast cancer.
-
Prolactin signaling and brain metastasis in HER2-positive breast cancer
Researchers are studying how prolactin signals help HER2-positive breast cancer cells grow in the brain, with the goal of finding new ideas to prevent brain metastases.
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A new milk-derived therapy called XoLacta aims to lessen radiation-related side effects for people undergoing treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer.
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Scientists will study how antibodies from immune cells inside HER2-positive breast tumors behave in a mouse model to understand potential new ways to fight the cancer.
-
Autophagy and vesicle trafficking linked to HER2+ breast cancer progression
A cancer research project aims to understand how cell recycling processes and vesicle movement affect HER2-positive breast cancer, with potential implications for metastasis and resistance to therapy.
-
XoLacta to reduce radiation side effects in HER2-positive breast cancer
XoLacta, a milk-derived therapy given during radiation, aims to help people with HER2-positive breast cancer heal better and have fewer side effects.
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.