Triple‑negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer because there are fewer effective treatments to slow or stop tumor growth. It also affects different patient populations at higher rates and leads to worse outcomes, making the search for new treatment targets especially important.
Dr. Keri and her team have found that a gene called CDK10 is much more active in TNBC than in other breast cancers, and even more active in tumors from some patient groups compared to others. Their research shows that TNBC cells rely on CDK10 to grow, suggesting it may be a weak point that new drugs could target. This idea builds on the success of existing CDK‑blocking drugs (CDK4/6 inhibitors), which have transformed treatment for other breast cancers but do not work for TNBC.
The team is now studying how CDK10 helps TNBC cells grow. They have discovered that CDK10 controls tiny structures inside cells called centrosomes, which help guide cell division and ensure DNA is split correctly when a cell divides. Dr. Keri aims to determine whether CDK10’s control of centrosomes is essential for TNBC growth and how this process works. She will also explore whether CDK10 and centrosome activity contribute to differences in outcomes seen across different patient populations.
This work will help determine whether CDK10 could become the basis for a much‑needed targeted therapy for TNBC — one that could improve outcomes for patients of all backgrounds.
100% For The Cure
