Cysteine: How it fuels lung cancer and ways to target it
Official title: Cysteine Acquisition and Utilization in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Funded at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst · NIH-11305646 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how lung cancer cells use cysteine in their environment, challenging the idea that they mainly rely on a single import pathway.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | May 12, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $687,593 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA309659-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11305646 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with lung adenocarcinoma or related lung cancers could potentially benefit from advances arising from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without lung cancer or those not involved in metabolic studies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Cancer cells need cysteine to grow and survive. The project explores how cysteine becomes available in tumors, including how protective molecules like glutathione and metals influence its availability. It also looks at which cysteine transporters cancer cells use in different tumor areas and how changing cysteine metabolism can keep essential cellular resources like NADPH and glutamate steady. The research uses advanced metabolomics, isotope tracing, and specialized tumor-mimicking cultures to map these processes in the real tumor setting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A better understanding of cysteine metabolism in lung cancer could lead to new ways to cut off a cancer cell’s fuel supply and improve treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that tumor metabolism can be altered by targeting amino acid pathways, though this project explores a novel cysteine supply route and transporters.
Where this research is happening
-
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Denicola, Gina Marie — H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Denicola, Gina Marie
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding a highly flexible cell state in lung cancer that worsens outcomes
A doctor-scientist at Cedars-Sinai wants to learn how a highly adaptable lung cancer cell state drives disease progression and resistance to therapy, using models that resemble human tumors.
-
Breaking cytokine loops in LKB1-mutant lung cancer and the immune system
A researcher at NYU School of Medicine is studying why a common lung cancer subtype with a specific mutation doesn’t respond well to current immunotherapy, with the aim of finding new ways to improve treatment.
-
Lung Adenocarcinoma: From Genome Changes to New Therapies
This NIH grant supports research on lung adenocarcinoma to better understand its genome changes and translate that knowledge into better diagnosis and treatments for patients.
-
Understanding how lung cancer and immune cells influence each other in early lung cancer development
A study looks at how lung cells and immune cells change together as early lung cancer (lung adenocarcinoma) develops, with the goal of finding points to intervene early.
-
Targeting a cancer pathway to stop metastasis in SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer
This grant aims to understand and interrupt a key pathway that drives spread of a specific type of lung cancer in people whose tumors have SMARCA4 mutations.
-
Combining imaging and biopsy genes to spot aggressive vs. slow-growing early lung cancer before surgery
Aimed at people with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, this project tests a combined imaging and biopsy gene‑marker approach to better predict tumor aggressiveness before surgery.
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.