VIII FERO Grant in Breast Cancer – Dr. María D. Mayan

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive tumor with limited therapeutic options. Novel CAR therapies, based on reprogramming cells from the patient’s immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, have shown promising results in blood cancers. However, their efficacy in solid tumors such as breast cancer remains limited by the conditions of the tumor microenvironment and their low penetration into the tumor.

The project, led by Dr. María D. Mayan and funded by FERO Cancer with the sponsorship of ghd, aims to develop new CAR therapies for triple-negative breast cancer. Specifically, the team will modify immune system cells called NK cells with CAR technology and combine them with nanovesicles loaded with compounds that activate the immune response to improve their ability to recognize and destroy tumor cells even in environments that hinder the immune system’s action.

The ultimate goal of the project is to advance toward more effective and safer therapies for patients with solid tumors.