Etheno DNA damage and how cells repair it
Official title: NIH resubmission Deyu Li - Etheno adductome and repair pathways
Funded at University of Rhode Island · NIH-11296880 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to learn how inflammation-linked chemicals create a type of DNA damage called etheno adducts and how that damage is fixed or left to cause cancer in people at risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rhode Island NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kingston, United States) |
| Project start | April 10, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $373,692 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM145790-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11296880 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic inflammatory diseases, persistent infections, or known exposure to certain carcinogens (for example, vinyl chloride) would be most relevant to the goals of this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without inflammation, carcinogen exposure, or elevated cancer risk are unlikely to receive direct short-term benefits from this laboratory-focused project.
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, researchers will map the full set of etheno-type DNA lesions that form during inflammation and after exposure to certain carcinogens. They will study a newly discovered lesion on methylated DNA (ε5mC) and test how two key repair systems in cells — base excision repair and direct reversal repair — handle these lesions. The team will use more realistic cellular models beyond short DNA pieces to see if these lesions cause mutations when DNA is copied. The work aims to reveal when and why repair fails under chronic inflammation or chemical exposure, which could point to ways to prevent mutation-driven cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify DNA damage markers and repair weaknesses that lead to cancer, guiding future early-detection, prevention, or targeted-intervention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have identified several etheno adducts and linked them to mutations, but the repair behavior and mutagenicity of the newly discovered ε5mC lesion remain largely untested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Deyu — University of Rhode Island
- Study coordinator: Li, Deyu
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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.