Tuesday, July 1, 2025 7/1/2025

New approach based on enzyme stimulating of peptides for targeting drug resistance breast cancers

Award Number: R16GM150848
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/17/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2026

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

New approach based on enzyme stimulating of peptides for targeting drug resistance breast cancers - Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer that does not express the estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein which accounts for 15–20 % of all breast cancer cases. TNBC tumors are generally larger, are of higher grade, and are more aggressive than other breast cancer types. TNBC is unlikely to respond to hormonal therapy medicines, including tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. TNBC also is unlikely to respond to medicines that target the HER2 protein, such as Herceptin (trastuzumab). Treatment of TNBC patients has been challenging due to the lack of molecular targets. Therefore, there is a critical unmet need to develop more effective therapies for TNBC and drug-resistant breast cancers. The development of new treatments would require radically different approaches that rely on enzymatic reactions specific to TNBC cells rather than the cell receptors. This proposal hypothesizes that properly designed peptide substrates of Eyes Absent enzyme (EYA) can selectively inhibit TNBC cell growth by a self-assembling process. The central hypothesis is that tyrosine phosphatase activity of EYA in TNBC could specifically convert the peptide therapeutics into nanofibers and induce controlled apoptosis of TNBC cells. The preliminary data suggested that a modified sequence of peptides with only one added amino acid could be de-phosphorylated by EYA and self-assemble into nanostructures to inhibit the growth of TNBC cells (MDA-MB-231). In this project, different peptide substrates of EYA will be synthesized by changing variable factors and the correlation of structure to enzyme activity and cell apoptosis will be determined by focusing on the following aims: Aim 1: Design and synthesize self-assembling peptide substrates for EYA enzymes; Aim 2: Determining the efficacy of peptide substrates for inhibiting TNBC in spheroid 3D cell cultures. The correlation between the enzyme kinetic and the activity of nanostructures for targeting EYA will be evaluated. Aim 3: The apoptosis response of the TNBC cells will be determined. This study will lead to finding the potent peptide substrate and the effective dose for inhibiting TNBC cells with apoptosis cell death.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $41,666 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS	1112 DALLAS DR STE 4000	DENTON	TX	76205	DENTON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	1/24/2025	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$41,666
														Subtotal = $41,666

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $180,300 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS	1112 DALLAS DR STE 4000	DENTON	TX	76205	DENTON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	7/30/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$180,300
														Subtotal = $180,300

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $180,300 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS	1155 UNION CIR #305250	DENTON	TX	76203	DENTON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	1	8/17/2023	NEW	$180,300
														Subtotal = $180,300

Grand Total All Awards = $402,266

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

New approach based on enzyme stimulating of peptides for targeting drug resistance breast cancers

Award Number: R16GM150848

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/17/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2026

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer