How ALDH2 affects mouth and esophagus cell health and cancer
Official title: Aldh2 and epithelial homeostasis and pathobiology
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11381708 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing ways to block alcohol-related damage in mouth and esophagus cells so treatments can better target aggressive squamous cell cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2018 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $370,125 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA026297-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11381708 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with or at high risk for head-and-neck or esophageal squamous cell carcinoma—especially those with heavy alcohol use or known ALDH2 dysfunction—would be the most relevant candidates for related trials or tissue-donation efforts.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that are not squamous cell types of the head, neck, or esophagus, or those whose disease is unrelated to alcohol/ALDH2 biology, are less likely to benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, the team studies how the enzyme ALDH2 and alcohol byproducts (like acetaldehyde) damage cells in the mouth and esophagus and help dangerous cancer cells survive. They grow miniature patient- and mouse-derived organoids (tiny tissue models) to watch how DNA damage and a survival marker called CD44 let cancer cells resist chemotherapy and alcohol stress. The researchers use genetic tools and drugs that block a repair protein (FANCT) to see if cancer organoids die while normal tissue survives. The work seeks drug targets that could one day lead to treatments that kill cancer cells linked to alcohol exposure without harming healthy tissue.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to therapies that more precisely kill alcohol-related head-and-neck and esophageal squamous cancers while sparing normal tissue.
How similar studies have gone: Early laboratory and organoid studies show promising results for targeting the Fanconi anemia pathway in these cancers, but clinical benefit in patients has not yet been established.
Where this research is happening
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Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nakagawa, Hiroshi — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Nakagawa, Hiroshi
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.