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Triple-negative breast cancer is particularly aggressive and difficult to treat; but recent research may offer a new way to target the often-deadly disease. 

A team of researchers from the University of Mississippi found that coating nanoparticles containing cancer therapies in a sugar-like substance makes them more effective in targeting this cancer. They published their research in Advanced Healthcare Materials. 

It’s called triple-negative because it does not have any of the three things that we have developed treatments to target in cancer. It particularly affects young women, and it particularly affects Black and African American women. 

What that means is we really urgently need to think creatively about new ways to try and treat this cancer.” 

Eden Tanner, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry

More than 1 in 10 breast cancer diagnoses are for triple-negative breast cancer. This cancer is particularly difficult to treat because it does not create high levels of estrogen, progesterone or the protein HER2, all of which are usually used to target cancer for drug delivery. 

Mississippi’s rates of triple-negative breast cancer are higher than average. A 2024 report from the University of Mississippi Medical Center showed that 37% of breast cancer cases treated at the center between 2016 and 2023 were triple-negative – more than double the national average. 

The aggressive nature of this cancer, combined with its resistance to many usual therapies, means its mortality rate is higher than that of other cancers. 

While this cancer may not elevate levels of usual drug targets, the research team found a novel way to deliver cancer therapies directly to the cancer cells. 

“One thing that’s consistent across all of the patients (with triple-negative breast cancer) is that they overexpress glucose transporters to bring more sugars to the cells,” Tanner said. “Essentially, it has a sweet tooth. So, how can we get it to take its medicine? We wrap it in sugar.” 

By coating the nanoparticle cancer therapy in sugar, the researchers effectively “trick” the cancer into absorbing the medication, Tanner said. 

“The drug itself is encapsulated in the nanoparticle, which is then coated in the glucose,” said Mira Patel, a junior chemistry major from Vicksburg, Mississippi. 

When injected into the bloodstream, these sugar-coated cancer therapies can “hitch a ride” on red and white blood cells, Tanner said. Riding the blood cells like a bus, the medication travels across the body and ultimately becomes trapped by the cancer’s glucose transporters. 

“Because triple-negative breast cancer cells overexpress GLUT-transporters, there’s more of an affinity between the nanoparticles and those cells,” said Patel, a co-author of the study who first joined the Tanner Lab through the ARISE Summer Program as a high school junior. 

“This method could provide something that will change the way we treat this cancer in the future, and in a way that won’t affect our regular, healthy cells.” 

Triple-negative breast cancer is not the only disease that overexpresses glucose transporters, meaning the drug delivery method could be used to treat other illnesses. 

“We haven’t tested the technology on those other diseases yet, but there’s a good reason to believe that a similar strategy might work,” Tanner said. “That’s exciting news for diseases like colon cancer, brain cancer and fatty liver disease, which also have high levels of glucose transporters.” 

Before it can be put into practice, however, the researchers must test the delivery method in disease conditions. Given the prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer in the state, the results of their work could save lives in Mississippi. 

“One of our strongest motivations as a research group is to think about scientific innovations that can really help Mississippians,” Tanner said. “Given the profile of our state, we feel particularly motivated to address these problems.” 

This material is based on work supported by the National Institutes of Health grant no. P20GM130460. 

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new study found that babies born by C-section had 83% lower odds of developing eczema when their families participated in a 6-month gut health support program, compared to those who didn’t receive the intervention.

The research, published today in the medical journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, showed that just 6% of babies in the intervention group developed eczema, compared to 29% in the control group. The study highlights how targeted gut health interventions during a baby’s first months may help reduce risks of immune-related conditions.

Study Details

The randomized controlled trial followed 54 full-term babies born by C-section over six months. Families were randomly divided into two groups: 25 babies received personalized gut health support from Tiny Health, while 29 served as controls without the program.

Parents in both groups collected stool samples from their baby’s diaper at the beginning of the study and again after three months. The intervention program included a detailed microbiome analysis, personalized nutrition and probiotics guidance, and coaching from microbiome specialists. Researchers tracked changes in gut bacteria and surveyed parents about their babies’ health outcomes.

Why C-Section Babies Face Higher Risks

About one in three U.S. babies are born by C-section annually. Unlike vaginal birth, C-section birth means babies may miss out on beneficial bacteria normally transferred from mother to child during birth. Instead, their guts are often colonized by hospital-associated bacteria that can be antibiotic-resistant and related to gut inflammation later in life.

Research shows these early differences in the gut microbiome — the community of bacteria and other microbes living in the digestive system — can persist for years and are associated with higher microbiome risks of eczema, allergies, asthma, and even conditions like obesity and type 1 diabetes.

“Our data show that early microbiome support can shift gut bacterial patterns away from those associated with eczema and allergies,” said Dr. Kimberley Sukhum, Head of Science at Tiny Health. “The first 1,000 days are a critical window of opportunity, when the gut microbiome can be most effectively shaped for lifelong immune health.”

Key Findings Beyond Eczema

By the study’s end, babies who received the intervention showed several positive changes:

• Higher levels of beneficial bacteria: Bifidobacterium reached a median relative abundance of 82% (a 51% increase from the first sample) compared with 55% in the control group
• Better nutrient processing: More genes in their microbiome for digesting HMOs, which are beneficial complex sugars in breastmilk
• Gut bacteria more similar to vaginal birth: Lower “C-section index” scores, meaning their gut bacteria composition trended toward those of vaginally-born babies

What This Means for Parents

For the estimated 1.2 million C-section babies born in the U.S. each year, these findings suggest early gut health interventions may significantly reduce chronic disease risk.

More than 20 million children in the U.S. now live with a diagnosed allergic condition. Eczema alone affects up to 1 in 5 infants and is the first step in the atopic march — the progression of allergic diseases from eczema to food allergies, hay fever, and eventually asthma. By addressing gut imbalances early, parents can potentially disrupt or reverse this progression.

“As a mom of a C-section baby who struggled with eczema and food sensitivities, I wanted to turn what I’d read about course-correcting the infant gut into a reality for myself and other parents,” said Cheryl Sew Hoy, CEO and Founder of Tiny Health. “Research now shows that the first 1,000 days can profoundly shape a child’s lifelong health, and growing awareness among both parents and medical professionals means families can benefit from these insights much earlier.”

Broader Health Impact

According to the CDC, over 100 million Americans have eczema, food allergies, or hay fever, and 28 million have asthma. Annual costs related to asthma alone surpass $81 Billion. This study reinforces the microbiome’s role in immune health – and offers a proactive, evidence-based path to prevention to reduce national health and economic burdens.

Research Methodology, Limitations, and Next Steps

This randomized controlled trial ran from August 2023 to May 2024, and included healthy, full-term infants born by C-section and under 3 months old at enrollment. Parents sent in their baby’s stool samples at the beginning and after three months and completed health surveys at multiple time points to track outcomes. Researchers used advanced shotgun metagenomic sequencing to analyze gut bacteria composition and function.

The research was conducted as an open-label trial, meaning participants knew whether they were receiving the intervention. No adverse effects were reported in either group during the study period.

Despite limitations including a focused sample size and short-term follow-up, this preliminary study’s statistically significant results are highly encouraging, with Tiny Health already advancing larger-scale studies to build upon these promising outcomes.

About Tiny Health

Tiny Health is the first and only precision microbiome wellness platform designed for lifelong health — from the first 1,000 days to the last. Founded in 2020 and built by microbiome scientists and physicians, Tiny Health uses shotgun metagenomics to deliver strain-level and functional microbiome insights. Its clinical-grade gut and vaginal tests help families and practitioners address the root causes of many chronic conditions with evidence-based interventions. Trusted by over 80,000 people, Tiny Health is redefining the microbiome as a cornerstone of personalized wellness. Learn more at tinyhealth.com.

Media Contact:
Hannah Goering
press@tinyhealth.com

Study Citation: Nieto PA, Nakama C, Trachsel J, et al. Improving immune-related health outcomes post-cesarean birth with a gut microbiome-based program: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2025; 36:e70182. doi:10.1111/pai.70182

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2d4fddd9-c762-4080-8c39-2652750450f6