Blocking Wee1 to treat gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Official title: Elucidating the critical role of Wee1 in GIST
Funded at Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr · NIH-11283962 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project sees if adding a drug that blocks Wee1 to existing KIT/PDGFRA-targeting medicines helps people with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), especially when tumors stop responding to current treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $430,050 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA281212-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11283962 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with GIST driven by KIT or PDGFRA mutations, particularly those whose tumors are resistant to approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose GIST is cured by surgery, who lack KIT/PDGFRA mutations, or who cannot receive targeted therapies for medical reasons are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project focuses on gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and a cell protein called Wee1 that helps tumor cells survive. Researchers use lab tests on tumor cell lines, gene profiling, and loss-of-function experiments to measure how much GIST cells rely on Wee1. They test a Wee1-blocking drug (adavosertib) alone and together with avapritinib in cell and mouse models, including patient-derived tumor grafts that model resistant disease. The goal is to find drug combinations that can overcome resistance to current tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a new treatment option that helps patients with TKI-resistant GIST respond to targeted therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Early laboratory and animal studies, including patient-derived xenograft models, have shown promising synergy between Wee1 inhibitors and KIT/PDGFRA inhibitors, but clinical evidence in people is still limited.
Where this research is happening
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Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rink, Lori — Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Rink, Lori
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.