Why some triple-negative breast cancers resist chemotherapy
Official title: Investigating mechanisms of chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer
Funded at Tufts University Medford · NIH-11251640 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores whether changes in the tumor’s surrounding support tissue (the extracellular matrix) and a protein called Cathepsin B change how chemotherapy works for people with triple-negative breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Medford NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | January 11, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $347,067 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA255742-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251640 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with triple-negative breast cancer or patients willing to donate tumor tissue or participate in related translational studies.
✕Less likely to help
People with non–triple-negative breast cancers or those seeking immediate treatment changes should not expect direct, immediate benefit from this primarily lab-based project.
What this research studies
As someone affected by triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), this project looks at why chemotherapy sometimes fails to kill tumor cells and can even promote later spread. Researchers will use 3-D tumor models and tumor samples to study specific extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and the protease Cathepsin B (CTSB) that breaks them down. They will test how these ECM changes and CTSB levels affect response to the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel and tumor cell movement. The work aims to connect tumor microenvironment changes to chemoresistance and chemotherapy-induced metastasis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to make chemotherapy more effective for people with TNBC or identify markers that predict who will respond.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked ECM remodeling and cell migration to chemoresistance, but targeting ECM components and CTSB in TNBC is a relatively new and mostly preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts University Medford
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oudin, Madeleine Julie — Tufts University Medford
- Study coordinator: Oudin, Madeleine Julie
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Genomic study to understand how genetics and epigenetics shape triple-negative breast cancer in African ancestry
This study looks at how inherited genes and gene activity affect triple-negative breast cancer in people of African ancestry to better understand why outcomes can be worse.
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Co-Targeting IL-6 and CDK4/6 to Prevent TNBC in Women Veterans
A study aims to block two cancer-promoting pathways (IL-6 and CDK4/6) to prevent or reduce progression of triple-negative breast cancer in women veterans.
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Linking heavy metal exposure to a tougher breast cancer type (TNBC)
Aimed at understanding how heavy metals like cadmium might trigger a dangerous breast cancer type (TNBC) in people, especially those with BRCA1 risk, to identify possible future treatment strategies.
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Dormancy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: How Liver and Skin Metastases Go Quiet or Reactivate
Researchers will study how dormant cancer cells in liver and skin metastases of triple-negative breast cancer become quiescent or wake up, using organ-on-chip models and single-cell analysis to map chromatin states.
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Rac-enhanced CAR-Macrophages against TNBC
A new cell therapy approach uses engineered macrophages with a CAR and Rac2 activation to target and kill triple-negative breast cancer cells expressing CSPG4.
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A new peptide therapy to help treat metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
A new peptide therapy called PEG-FUD is being tested to help treat metastatic triple-negative breast cancer by normalizing the tumor environment to improve treatment delivery.
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.