Dormant melanoma cells and aging: how the tissue environment shapes recurrence
Official title: Recurrence and Resistance in the Aging Melanoma Microenvironment
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11370310 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant studies how aging tissue environments influence melanoma dormancy and late recurrences, with a focus on how aged lung fibroblasts and Wnt signaling affect cancer cell reawakening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $512,040 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA298306-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370310 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with a history of melanoma, especially older adults, may be relevant to future translational applications or trials based on these findings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without a history of melanoma or without interest in dormancy-related research may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you have melanoma, this research looks at why cancer can come back years after treatment. Scientists study dormancy, the state where cancer cells lie inactive in distant tissues and may later become active. The work particularly explores how aging tissues change signaling and immune responses, potentially helping dormant cells wake up or stay quiet. By investigating the role of fibroblasts, Wnt pathways, and immune cells in aged tissues, they hope to identify factors that drive recurrence and resistance to therapy. The outcomes could guide new strategies to prevent relapse in older patients who have had melanoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A better understanding of why melanoma returns could lead to new ways to prevent relapse and tailor treatments for older patients.
How similar studies have gone: Related studies have shown that tissue aging and immune environments influence cancer progression and treatment responses, though the dormancy-to-relapse mechanism is complex and active.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weeraratna, Ashani T — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Weeraratna, Ashani T
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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.