CRISPR precision treatment for bladder cancer
Precision targeting of bladder cancer using CRISPR
This project uses a CRISPR-based approach to selectively cut and kill bladder cancer cells while leaving normal bladder tissue alone.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300939 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have bladder cancer, researchers are developing a CRISPR-based therapy that targets the unique DNA breakpoints (structural variant junctions) found in tumor cells. The method uses a split enzyme system (Fok1-dCas9) that only becomes active when two guide molecules bind the cancer-specific DNA junction, which should spare normal cells. The team will deliver these CRISPR components directly into the bladder and test effectiveness and safety in an orthotopic mouse model that mimics human bladder tumors. These preclinical tests are meant to show whether the approach can shrink tumors and avoid damage to healthy bladder tissue.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal future candidates would be people with localized or locally invasive bladder cancer who can receive intravesical (into-the-bladder) treatments and whose tumors contain targetable structural variant junctions.
Not a fit: Patients with widely metastatic bladder cancer, those who cannot receive intravesical therapy, or whose tumors lack the specific DNA junctions targeted may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could become a highly specific local bladder therapy that kills tumor cells with fewer side effects than current treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Related CRISPR and targeted-DNA-break approaches have shown proof-of-concept in cell and animal models, but this specific SVJ-targeting KLIPP method is novel and has not yet been tested in people.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ljungman, Mats — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Ljungman, Mats
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.