# Single Cell Sampling of Signaling Activity in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $490,793

## Abstract

   
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Breast cancer is commonly divided into four subtypes based on the presence/absence of three distinct receptors: Luminal A, luminal B, HER2, and triple negative/basal-like. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) affects approximately 15% of breast cancer patients and has a poorer prognosis than the other subtypes. A major challenge associated with breast cancer in general and TNBC in particular is the heterogeneity of the disease, both between patients and within individual tumors. This has hampered efforts to develop effective therapies. As pointed out by others "the ability to describe tumors at the resolution of single cells will enhance our ability to determine the best treatment options and to anticipate disease outcome". The proposed multidisciplinary research program seeks to develop and apply a technology that simultaneously assesses the intracellular signaling activity of multiple enzymes at the single cell level in TNBC.
We'll compare and contrast the influence of 2D and 3D cell culture conditions as well as antagonists and agonists on signaling activity. In addition, we'll evaluate the presence of subpopulations exhibiting unique signaling behavior. The ability to define heterogeneous aberrant signaling behavior at the single cell level on a patient-by-patient basis could address what is widely viewed as the single most pressing need in TNBC: the absence of guidelines to manage patients with triple-negative disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9851281
- **Project number:** 5R01CA203032-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID S. LAWRENCE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $490,793
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-02-02 → 2021-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9851281

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9851281, Single Cell Sampling of Signaling Activity in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (5R01CA203032-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9851281. Licensed CC0.

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