DNA repair and early lung cancer progression in veterans
Official title: DNA repair in pulmonary epithelial cell evolution to lung cancer
Funded at Rlr VA Medical Center · NIH-11300917 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how DNA repair problems in lung cells help early changes turn into lung cancer in veterans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rlr VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 2I01RD001511-05A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11300917 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans or others at high risk for NSCLC who may have pre-malignant lung lesions or DNA repair-related vulnerabilities.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without pre-malignant lung changes or without exposure-related risk may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project studies how defects in DNA repair, especially the XPC protein, influence the evolution of pre-malignant lung lesions toward non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers will use clinically relevant models to observe how environmental exposures like air pollution affect these DNA repair processes. The goal is to identify early warning changes so high-risk patients can get timely, more accurate care. The work centers on veterans and the unique lung cancer risks they face, with the hope of informing future screening and prevention strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to earlier detection and better prevention of lung cancer in veterans exposed to harmful air pollutants.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows DNA repair defects are linked to cancer progression, but how they drive pre-malignant lung lesions to NSCLC needs further validation.
Where this research is happening
-
Rlr VA Medical Center
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sears, Catherine Rufatto — Rlr VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Sears, Catherine Rufatto
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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.