EndoU: How a calcium-activated RNA cutter helps cells decide fate
Official title: Function and mechanism of EndoU
Funded at University of California Riverside · NIH-11397367 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist-led project will explore how a calcium-activated RNA-cleaving enzyme called EndoU controls cell survival and development, with potential links to several cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Riverside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $305,424 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM152548-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397367 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers associated with EndoU misregulation (e.g., head/neck, colorectal, cervical, esophageal, oral, skin, and lung squamous cell cancers) may benefit from future translational applications.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage basic research may not directly benefit patients in the near term, and findings may initially apply to laboratory models.
What this research studies
This project will study EndoU, an RNA-cutting enzyme, to uncover how it works, what RNAs it targets, and how calcium changes its shape and activity. The work combines laboratory tests in cells with molecular analyses to map EndoU’s role in cell death and differentiation, especially during thymocyte development and in cells like B cells and epithelial cells. By identifying EndoU targets and the regulatory mechanisms, the study aims to connect calcium signaling to RNA control in health and disease. Findings could reveal new points where cancer processes go awry and suggest ways to influence cell fate through RNA biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding EndoU could lead to new approaches for diagnosing or treating cancers linked to its misregulation and better insight into how calcium signaling governs cell survival.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that RNA-cutting enzymes can influence cell fate, but EndoU’s calcium-dependent control represents a novel mechanism needing validation.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Riverside
Riverside, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karginov, Fedor V — University of California Riverside
- Study coordinator: Karginov, Fedor V
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.