Anastasis — how cells can reverse the dying process
Anastasis: A Novel Cell Survival Mechanism
This work looks at how some cells can recover after beginning to die and whether boosting that could protect heart and brain cells or blocking it could help stop cancer from coming back.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176374 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, this research studies anastasis, a newly discovered process in which cells on the verge of programmed death can recover. The team uses mouse and rat primary cells, many human cancer cell lines, and fruit fly tissues, together with biosensors and bioinformatics, to identify molecular signals and markers of anastasis. Researchers aim to learn whether enhancing anastasis could protect hard-to-replace cells such as neurons after brain injury, or whether blocking anastasis could improve cancer treatment effectiveness. Most experiments are lab-based and tracking recovered cells in living animals is a key technical challenge.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with recent acquired brain injury or patients enrolled in trials focused on protecting neurons or preventing cancer recurrence would be the most likely candidates for future human studies based on this work.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate clinical treatments or those with conditions unrelated to apoptosis-driven cell loss are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that protect brain cells after acquired brain injury or new approaches to prevent cancer cells from surviving therapy.
How similar studies have performed: Anastasis has solid laboratory evidence in cells and fruit flies, but translating those findings into human therapies is largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tang, Ho Lam — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Tang, Ho Lam
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 below.