Funding Innovative Research to Make “Invisible” Tumors Visible
The Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer (MWCABC) is proud to announce the award of a $100,000 research grant to Dr. Magdalena Plasilova and Dr. Vivek Mittal of Weill Cornell Medicine for their innovative project:
“Making Invisible Tumors Visible: Targeting Fat Metabolism to Improve Immunotherapy in TNBC.”
The project was selected for funding through MWCABC’s 2026 Grant Proposal Process and reflects the Coalition’s commitment to supporting promising breast cancer research with the potential to lead to better treatments and improved outcomes for patients.
Tackling One of the Most Aggressive Forms of Breast Cancer
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for approximately 15–20% of breast cancer cases but disproportionately contributes to breast cancer mortality. Unlike many other breast cancers, TNBC lacks the hormone and HER2 targets that make targeted treatments possible, leaving patients with fewer treatment options.
Immunotherapy has offered new hope, but many TNBC tumors are able to evade the immune system. One way they accomplish this is by reducing a protein called MHC-I, which normally helps immune cells recognize and attack tumor cells. Without that signal, cancer cells can essentially become less visible to the body’s immune defenses.
Drs. Plasilova and Mittal are investigating a promising new way to make those tumors visible again.
Targeting Fat Metabolism to Help the Immune System Fight Cancer
The research team has identified a connection between fatty acid synthase (FASN), an enzyme involved in producing fat within cells and the ability of TNBC tumors to hide from the immune system.
Their preliminary research found that FASN can suppress MHC-I on tumor cells. When FASN was inhibited, MHC-I increased, potentially allowing immune cells to better recognize the cancer. Their studies also showed reduced lung metastases and improved survival when FASN was deficient.
The new MWCABC-funded research will explore whether blocking FASN can make TNBC more responsive to PD-1 immunotherapy.
The researchers will pursue two primary goals:
- Determine whether FASN inhibition can improve the effectiveness of PD-1 immunotherapy in metastatic TNBC preclinical models.
- Test the approach in patient-derived TNBC organoids, grown from patient tumor tissue and studied alongside the patient’s own immune cells, to determine whether FASN inhibition can restore immune-mediated tumor killing and identify biomarkers that could help determine which patients are most likely to benefit.
Moving Promising Research Closer to Patients
One of the most exciting aspects of the project is its potential for clinical translation. A clinical-grade FASN inhibitor, TVB-2640 (denifanstat), has already undergone early-phase safety testing. This could provide a more direct path for moving promising findings from the laboratory toward clinical trials.
Over the 12-month project, the researchers hope to establish preclinical proof-of-concept for combining FASN inhibition with PD-1 blockade, identify biomarkers that may predict which patients will respond, and develop a framework for a future biomarker-guided Phase Ib clinical trial.
Supporting Researchers Committed to Better Breast Cancer Treatments
Left to right: Dr. Magdalena Plasilova, Dr. Vivek Mittal
Dr. Magdalena Plasilova is an Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, the Associate Medical Director for The Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine and an oncoplastic breast surgical oncologist whose work focuses on breast cancer treatment, early detection, biomarkers and new technologies designed to improve patient outcomes.
Dr. Vivek Mittal is a Professor in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Director of the Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Research Laboratory at Weill Cornell Medicine. His research includes extensive work investigating metastatic breast cancer, tumor metabolism and the mechanisms that allow cancer cells to evade the immune system.
Together, their complementary clinical and laboratory expertise creates an important bridge between scientific discovery and the development of new approaches that may ultimately benefit patients.
Investing in the Future of Breast Cancer Research
MWCABC is dedicated to supporting innovative research that can lead to advances in breast cancer treatment, improved quality of life and, ultimately, a cure.
We were especially impressed by Drs. Plasilova and Mittal’s research and their presentation to our grant committee. The opportunity to meet with them, learn more about their work and engage directly with their vision for improving treatment for women with triple-negative breast cancer reinforced our enthusiasm for supporting this project.
We congratulate Dr. Magdalena Plasilova, Dr. Vivek Mittal and their team at Weill Cornell Medicine and look forward to following the progress of this important research.