ADCK4‑NUMBL gene fusion linked to aggressive lung adenocarcinoma
Official title: Understanding the biology of an ADCK4-NUMBL fusion in lung adenocarcinoma aggressiveness
Funded at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst · NIH-11174428 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether a specific gene fusion called ADCK4‑NUMBL is tied to more aggressive lung adenocarcinoma in patients whose tumors lack common driver mutations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | September 24, 2012 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $147,264 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA163068-13 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174428 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with lung adenocarcinoma—particularly those whose tumors lack common oncogenic drivers or who have KRAS-mutant tumors—would be most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without lung cancer or whose tumors are already driven by well-established targetable mutations are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific work.
What this research studies
This research looks at a gene fusion named ADCK4‑NUMBL that shows up in some lung adenocarcinomas. The team measures the fusion RNA levels in tumor samples and in lung cell lines, and compares patients with high versus low fusion expression to see how it relates to survival. Lab work includes detecting the fusion protein and manipulating its expression in cells to study effects on cancer behavior. The goal is to understand whether the fusion contributes to tumor aggressiveness and could point to new markers or targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could provide a new prognostic marker and a potential target for therapies for a subset of lung adenocarcinoma patients.
How similar studies have gone: Gene fusions have been effective targets in other cancers, but the ADCK4‑NUMBL cis‑fusion is a newer, understudied finding, so this specific approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cress, William Douglas — H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Cress, William Douglas
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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.