Detecting and removing drug-tolerant cells in small cell lung cancer
Official title: Detection and elimination of drug tolerant persister cells in small cell lung cancer
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-11320838 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to find and destroy the rare drug-tolerant cells that allow small cell lung cancer to come back after treatment, to help people with SCLC stay cancer-free longer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | April 11, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $424,836 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA299261-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11320838 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with small cell lung cancer who can provide tumor tissue or blood samples, especially samples taken before and after standard chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
People without small cell lung cancer or those seeking an immediate therapeutic benefit should not expect direct personal benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you have SCLC, researchers will use tumor and blood samples collected before, during, and after treatment and laboratory models made from patient tumors to look for rare cells that survive therapy. They will study these cells with molecular tests, computer analysis, and lab experiments to identify markers that make them different from the bulk tumor. The team will test targeted approaches in the lab, such as antibody–drug conjugates or immune cell therapies, to see which strategies can kill those persister cells. The overall aim is to find targets and approaches that could be developed into treatments to prevent relapse.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that stop small cell lung cancer from recurring and improve patient survival.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical work in other cancers indicates that targeting drug-tolerant persister cells can work in lab models, but this approach has not yet produced established treatments for patients with SCLC.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gay, Carl Michael — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Gay, Carl Michael
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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.