Exploring understudied proteins as potential drug targets for adenoid cystic carcinoma
Official title: Assessing the role of understudied proteins as putative therapeutic targets for adenoid cystic carcinoma
Funded at University of Chicago · NIH-11453523 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small NIH grant is funding a patient-focused look at rare salivary gland cancer to find new proteins that could become targeted treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $164,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R03TR005984-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11453523 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma or those at risk due to ACC’s rarity and treatment challenges.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with ACC whose tumors do not express the identified targets may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will use AI-assisted analysis of primary ACC samples to identify understudied proteins that might be good targets for therapy. Researchers will combine a large list of candidate proteins with a unique ACC transcriptome dataset to prioritize promising targets. The goal is to lay the groundwork for future therapies that can improve long-term control of ACC for patients who currently have limited systemic options.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could pave the way for targeted therapies that improve disease control and survival for ACC patients.
How similar studies have gone: Similar approaches using AI and transcriptomic data have helped identify potential targets in other rare cancers, but ACC-targeted work remains limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Izumchenko, Evgeny (Eugene) G — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Izumchenko, Evgeny (Eugene) G
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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DNA methylation clues to predict and guide ACC treatment
This project looks at DNA methylation patterns in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) to find markers that predict how aggressive the cancer will be and how patients might respond to therapy.
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Salivary gland cancer: how nerves may drive growth and how to stop it
Aims to understand how nerve signals help adenoid cystic carcinoma grow and test therapies that could interrupt those signals to help patients.
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Genetic changes and target genes in adenoid cystic carcinoma
Researchers are analyzing genetic changes in adenoid cystic carcinoma tumors to find gene targets that could lead to better tests and treatments for people with ACC.
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Using tumor and blood DNA methylation to predict outcomes and guide treatment for adenoid cystic carcinoma
This project looks at DNA methylation patterns in tumor tissue and blood to help predict how adenoid cystic carcinoma will behave and to guide treatment choices for people with ACC.
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Using DNA Methylation to Improve Treatment for Salivary Gland Cancer
This study is looking at how changes in DNA can help doctors understand different types of adenoid cystic carcinoma, a kind of salivary gland cancer, by checking tumor samples and blood from patients to find clues that could improve treatment and track how the disease is doing.
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Novel idea: Epstein-Barr virus and eye cancer in people living with HIV in Zimbabwe
A study explores whether Epstein-Barr virus could cause a type of eye cancer in people living with HIV in Zimbabwe.
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.