How ATRX-DAXX–deficient cancers keep their chromosome ends (telomeres) intact
Co-Regulation of Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres and Chromatin Dynamics in ATRX-DAXX deficient cancer cells
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · NIH-11324228
This project looks for a vulnerability in aggressive cancers that lack ATRX-DAXX so their telomere maintenance can be stopped.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11324228 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying cancer cells in the lab to understand how tumors that lose ATRX-DAXX maintain and extend their telomeres. The team focuses on a related chromatin factor called HIRA and uses molecular and genomic methods in cell models to see how removing HIRA affects telomere repair and cell survival. They also test whether restoring ATRX reverses the effects, aiming to pinpoint molecular steps that make these cancer cells uniquely vulnerable. The goal is to identify targets that could be turned into therapies that selectively kill ATRX-DAXX–deficient, ALT-positive tumors.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients whose tumors are ATRX-DAXX–deficient or use the ALT telomere pathway (for example some gliomas, certain sarcomas, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors) would be the eventual target population for therapies from this work.
Not a fit: People with cancers that maintain telomeres through telomerase or who lack ATRX-DAXX defects are unlikely to benefit directly from findings focused on ALT-dependent tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that selectively kill tumors that rely on the ALT pathway due to ATRX-DAXX loss.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical lab studies have shown that disrupting chromatin assembly factors can kill ALT-positive cancer cells, but clinical therapies exploiting this weakness are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'SULLIVAN, RODERICK — UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- Study coordinator: O'SULLIVAN, RODERICK
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 below.
Conditions: Cancers