Project Grant HT94252310843

This Project Grant award of $683,150 from the Defense Health Agency supports research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) to develop combined therapies using hemichannel-targeting antibodies and FDA-approved therapies to treat breast cancer bone metastasis. The research is funded under the Military Medical Research and Development program (CFDA 12.420), which supports basic, applied, and advanced biomedical research to transform healthcare for service members and the public.

UTHSCSA is collaborating with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) as a sub-grantee to express and characterize the antibodies for in vitro and in vivo studies. The research aims to test the synergistic effects of combining a CX43 neutralization antibody developed by UTHSCSA with the anti-bone resorption function of Zometa, as well as the combination of the CX43 antibody and a PD-1 antibody, to maximize osteocyte hemichannel function, suppress breast cancer bone metastasis, and enhance anti-tumor immunity. The project period runs from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2026.