Why some ovarian cancers resist platinum chemotherapy: changes in tumor metabolism
Official title: Understanding Metabolic Reprogramming in Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer
Funded at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center · NIH-11212826 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how ovarian tumors change their metabolism when they stop responding to platinum chemotherapy and seeks new targets and markers to help women with recurrent high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jesse Brown VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX006012-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11212826 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be women with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, particularly those with recurrent disease or documented platinum resistance.
✕Less likely to help
People without ovarian cancer or those whose tumors remain platinum-sensitive are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will combine three coordinated projects to study how high-grade serous ovarian tumors reprogram their metabolism as they become resistant to platinum drugs. They will analyze tumor samples and laboratory models to find metabolic pathways and biomarkers linked to resistance. The team aims to identify molecules that could be targeted with new therapies or used as tests to predict or monitor resistance. Findings will guide development of treatments designed specifically for platinum-resistant tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new tests and treatment strategies that specifically target metabolic changes in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, potentially improving outcomes for affected patients.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory and animal studies have shown metabolic changes can drive chemotherapy resistance and that targeting metabolism can work in preclinical models, but few metabolic-targeting approaches have yet proven effective in patients.
Where this research is happening
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Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Matei, Daniela E — Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Matei, Daniela E
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Mitotic MTH1 Inhibitors for Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
A treatment approach targeting a specific cancer cell weakness (MTH1) to help women whose ovarian cancer stopped responding to platinum-based therapy.
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Cirtuvivint plus PARP inhibitor in BRCA/HRD ovarian cancer
A new treatment approach combines a CLK/DYRK inhibitor with a PARP inhibitor to help women with BRCA mutations or HRD ovarian cancer who have become resistant to platinum therapy.
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Targeting cancer-specific protein variants to guide T-cell therapy in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
Aims to find unique protein variants in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer to guide T-cell receptor therapy for patients.
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Cirtuvivint plus olaparib for BRCA/HRD ovarian cancer that stopped responding to platinum
This work adds cirtuvivint to the PARP drug olaparib to try to help people with BRCA-mutated or homologous recombination–deficient ovarian cancer that no longer responds to platinum chemotherapy.
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Finding new treatments for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer using T-cell therapy
This study is looking for new ways to help patients with tough-to-treat ovarian cancer by analyzing their tumor samples to find specific targets that can be attacked by the immune system, which could lead to better treatments for them.
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Exploring how ovarian cancer cells change metabolism to resist treatment
This study is looking into why some patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer stop responding to standard platinum treatments, and it hopes to find new ways to help those patients by understanding how their cancer cells change and adapt.
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.