Research

Research in the Ueno Laboratory focuses on the molecular mechanisms of metastasis and tumorigenicity of breast cancers, including inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

The lab also aims to develop new therapeutic approaches for breast cancer, by translating preclinical findings into clinical trials, which is coordinated through the lab's Enhanced Drug Development Guidance and Evaluation (EDGE) preclinical solutions effort.

Enhanced Drug Development Guidance and Evaluation (EDGE) Preclinical Solutions

Translational research forms the bridge between lab and hospital, where exciting discoveries in basic research are delivered quickly to patients in need.

With physicians working closely with researchers, feedback from patient care can rapidly inspire new directions in preclinical research. Our mission is to reduce the suffering of breast cancer patients by discovering and developing targeted therapies in collaboration with industry and academia.

There is a large demand for preclinical testing to find the best application strategies of new drugs either before or alongside clinical trials. We interact with clinic staff, basic researchers and drug companies to get the proper testing done quickly.

In contrast to the slow conventional academic approach to drug development, which may focus more on dissecting the mechanism of action of a drug with a primary goal of generating publications, we're focused on deploying an array of capabilities to prove the efficacy of the drug so that we can get it to the patients as soon as possible.

In the past, new drugs were preclinically evaluated for toxicity, kinetics and biomarkers, but that’s not enough to successfully launch a new drug anymore.

The EDGE team seeks to expand, enhance and speed up testing to increase the success of new drugs. Thorough preclinical testing can also lessen the risk and cost of failure.

For example, we're using new technologies to:

• identify the best synergistic partner for a drug
• testing the drug in the most relevant tumor cell type
• developing additional new methods for testing

Synergy testing involves finding which two or more drugs work best together to enhance each other, leading to a much greater effect than any one drug alone.

Different tumors have different genetic mutations. We seek to identify which drugs work best to treat certain mutations, so that they can be best matched to the specific mutations in each type of tumor to improve the success of treatment.

We're also developing new testing tools, such as multi-drug resistant cell lines, which should more closely represent cancers found in patients who have already undergone typical therapy but in whom the cancer has returned. These patients need new treatment strategies.

The hope is that this rapid translational approach to developing novel drugs will benefit patients who are in desperate need of better treatment options.