Cellular programming by plant signaling in cancer and other diseases
Official title: Cellular Programming by Plant Photoreceptor Signaling
Funded at University of California Riverside · NIH-11598600 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying how plant cell signals control gene activity in the nucleus and mitochondria to understand faulty regulation that can occur in cancers and other disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Riverside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $130,733 |
| NIH project number | 3R35GM161659-01S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11598600 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cancers or disorders where nuclear body dynamics or organellar gene expression are implicated, or individuals contributing samples to related research.
✕Less likely to help
This project is basic research in plants; patients looking for immediate therapies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses the model plant Arabidopsis to explore how light-activated PHYB signaling affects nuclear bodies and the coordination between nuclear and organellar gene expression. By studying photobody formation and plastid transcription, researchers aim to uncover fundamental control mechanisms that may relate to human diseases such as cancer. The work combines molecular biology, imaging, and signaling analyses to map how cellular signals drive gene regulation. Although rooted in plant biology, the insights could illuminate similar processes in human cells where nuclear bodies and organellar coordination influence disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how cell signaling controls gene expression could lead to new ideas for diagnosing or treating cancers and other disorders related to nuclear and organellar regulation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in model systems have linked nuclear bodies and organellar gene expression to disease, suggesting foundational relevance, though specifics are novel here.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Riverside
Riverside, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Meng — University of California Riverside
- Study coordinator: Chen, Meng
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.