DNA damage tolerance in cells and tissues to improve cancer therapies
Official title: DNA damage tolerance strategies at the organismal level
Funded at Tufts University Medford · NIH-11259869 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to understand how cells cope with DNA damage and how cancer cells rely on special DNA repair steps, with a focus on breast cancer genes and potential targets for therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Medford NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | May 11, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $391,999 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM161660-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11259869 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include patients with breast cancer linked to BRCA2 mutations or individuals whose tumors show dependency on translesion DNA synthesis pathways.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not rely on the studied DNA damage tolerance pathways may see little direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how cells tolerate DNA damage and repair breaks, especially in relation to breast cancer genes like BRCA2. They use a fruit-fly model to explore how error-prone repair pathways contribute to genome instability and identify key players such as translesion polymerases. The work aims to reveal tissue- and development-specific effects that could influence treatment responses in cancer. Findings could point to new targets to weaken cancer cells’ ability to survive DNA damage from therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could highlight new strategies to sensitize cancer cells to DNA-damaging treatments by targeting repair pathways.
How similar studies have gone: prior research in model organisms has linked translesion synthesis to DNA damage tolerance and tumor survival, supporting potential translational relevance.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts University Medford
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcvey, Mitch — Tufts University Medford
- Study coordinator: Mcvey, Mitch
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.