How BRCA‑defective cancers use backup systems to fix broken DNA
Backup DNA repair in homologous recombination deficient cancers
This work looks at whether blocking backup DNA‑repair proteins can help kill cancers that cannot use BRCA1/BRCA2 repair.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238440 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your tumor cannot repair DNA using BRCA1 or BRCA2, researchers will study how it survives by using other repair proteins. The team will examine the roles of RAD52, HELQ, and POLQ and search for additional proteins that cancer cells rely on. They will map which backup pathways the tumor cells use and build laboratory tests that measure these backup repair activities. The results aim to point to new drug targets and lab assays that could guide future patient treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast or other cancers that have BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations or show homologous recombination deficiency would be the most relevant candidates for future trials based on this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors are proficient at homologous recombination or people without cancer are unlikely to benefit directly from this laboratory research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal new targets for drugs that specifically kill BRCA‑deficient tumors and help develop tests to identify patients who would benefit.
How similar studies have performed: Related strategies such as PARP inhibitors have succeeded in BRCA‑mutant cancers, but targeting RAD52, HELQ, or POLQ is a newer approach with limited clinical experience so far.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Powell, Simon N. — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Powell, Simon N.
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.