Engineering tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) for triple negative breast cancer therapy

PROJECT NARRATIVE “Triple negative” breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer that spreads aggressively and often leads to metastasis and death; it is difficult to treat because it does not respond to current molecularly-targeted drugs. TIMP2 is a natural human protein with two anticancer activities: (1) it inhibits an enzyme involved in TNBC metastasis, and (2) it binds to a cell surface receptor to inhibit TNBC growth. We propose to develop a new cancer drug, based on TIMP2, with improved capability to inhibit both metastasis and tumor growth, providing a new therapy to improve survival for patients with TNBC.