Controlling GLI protein activity in hair follicle cells
Regulating Gli Function in Hair Follicle Progenitors
This project looks at how proteins called PRKCi and LAP2 change GLI activity in basal cell carcinoma to guide new treatments for people whose skin cancers resist current drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11260185 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will examine human tumor samples and laboratory models to see how PRKCi and different forms of LAP2 affect the GLI protein that drives many basal cell carcinomas. They will map where GLI sits in the nucleus, how it is chemically modified, and which LAP2 forms protect it from degradation or help it bind DNA. The team will use proteomics, biochemical assays, and structural approaches to define the complexes that allow tumor cells to escape Smoothened inhibitor drugs. Clarifying these mechanisms is intended to reveal new molecular targets to overcome drug resistance.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with advanced, recurrent, or drug-resistant basal cell carcinoma would be the most likely candidates to benefit from future treatments informed by this research.
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage BCC successfully removed by surgery or those with non-BCC skin conditions are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this lab-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets or approaches to treat BCCs that no longer respond to current hedgehog-pathway drugs.
How similar studies have performed: Drugs that target the hedgehog pathway (Smoothened inhibitors) help many BCC patients, but resistance is common, and targeting downstream GLI regulators is a newer, promising approach supported so far mainly by laboratory studies.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oro, Anthony E — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Oro, Anthony E
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.