“Shielding” Macrophages: Uncovering Immune-Mediated Chemoresistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Problem
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the hardest types to treat and affects Māori and Pacific women more than others. Many patients with TNBC don’t fully respond to chemotherapy, and doctors can’t yet reliably predict who will or won’t benefit. A type of immune cell called a macrophage may be helping cancer survive treatment, but we don’t yet fully understand how.
Project
Researchers have found a group of macrophages that “shield” cancer cells from chemotherapy. In this project, they will:
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identify what makes these shielding cells unique,
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map where they sit in real patient tumours, and
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switch off key genes in these cells to find out which ones help protect the cancer.
Outcome
The research will help discover new biomarkers so doctors can better predict how a patient with TNBC will respond to treatment and personalise their care.
Future
In the long term, this work could lead to new treatments that block “shielding” macrophages, making chemotherapy more effective and improving outcomes - especially for Māori and Pacific women.
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