The University of Illinois was awarded a $411,143 Project Grant by the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.394 - Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program) to develop a macrophage-based technology called "Macrophage Enabled Brain Metastasis Targeting (MEMT)" for delivering a YAP inhibitor drug to treat breast cancer brain metastases. The project aims to leverage macrophages to shuttle nanoparticle-encapsulated YAP/TEAD-targeting drugs to multi-focal brain metastatic lesions, with the goal of disrupting the YAP-TEAD interaction and inhibiting metastatic tumor growth. If successful, this technology could offer a new approach for effectively treating breast cancer brain metastases, which currently lack effective therapies. The project period is from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2026.
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