Cell polarization: how cells establish their shape and direction
Official title: Principles of Cell Polarization.
Funded at Boston College · NIH-11260513 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how cells decide where to grow and how their shape is formed, which is important for understanding cancers and other diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chestnut Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $426,250 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM161545-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11260513 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not a patient-facing study; focus is on basic cell biology with implications for human disease, particularly cancer.
✕Less likely to help
Direct benefits to patients will depend on future translation; current work is preclinical.
What this research studies
This project looks at the basic biology of how cells become polarized and maintain their shape, a process linked to cancer and developmental disorders. It highlights a leadership role for the Cdc42 GTPase in guiding polarized growth and how cell-cycle signals and environmental cues influence this process. The work aims to map how membrane lipids and other regulators coordinate to create and sustain polarized growth, with potential implications for therapies targeting cell migration and tumor progression. The long-term plan includes studying system-wide regulation of polarization as cells progress through the division cycle and respond to their surroundings, which could reveal new angles for treating disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform new approaches to disrupt cancer cell growth or restore normal cell behavior by targeting polarization pathways.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that Cdc42 and related pathways regulate polarized growth, suggesting promise for translating basic insights to therapies.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Das, Maitreyi — Boston College
- Study coordinator: Das, Maitreyi
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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.