A sperm-only protein called COX6B2 helps some lung cancers make extra energy
Official title: The sperm specific protein, COX6B2, promotes metabolic reprogramming in lung adenocarcinoma
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11174447 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores how the sperm protein COX6B2 lets lung adenocarcinoma cells produce more energy and survive, which could point to new treatment options for people with this form of lung cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $375,150 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA251172-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174447 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with lung adenocarcinoma—especially whose tumors express COX6B2—would be the eventual candidates for therapies coming from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other lung cancer types or tumors that do not express COX6B2 are unlikely to benefit from COX6B2-directed approaches.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, scientists will look at COX6B2 because it is normally only in sperm but turns on in some lung adenocarcinomas and links to worse survival. In the lab they will study how COX6B2 changes the cancer cell's energy machinery using structural and cell biology techniques. They will also examine how the gene becomes activated in tumors and test its role in animal models to see whether blocking it weakens tumors. Together these approaches aim to show whether COX6B2 is a promising target for future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify a new target that makes certain lung adenocarcinomas more vulnerable to treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Research on cancer-testis antigens exists but targeting COX6B2-driven metabolism is a novel, largely preclinical approach with limited prior clinical success.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Whitehurst, Angelique Wright — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Whitehurst, Angelique Wright
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.