How cancer cells adapt and survive treatment stress
Multiomic single cell and spatial interrogation of mechanisms in cellular adaptation to stress
This project uses advanced single-cell and spatial mapping to reveal how cancer cells survive treatment, aiming to help people with cancer avoid therapy resistance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11287867 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers label and track individual cancer cells with DNA 'barcodes' and follow their fates over time to see which cells survive treatment and which die. They combine single-cell multiomic reads (including chromatin accessibility like ATAC-seq) with spatial mapping to link molecular states to a cell's location and behavior. The team also uses CRISPR-based perturbations in lab models to test which genes drive survival and adaptation. Although lab-based, the work focuses on mechanisms that underlie therapy resistance in human cancers and could point to targets for future patient trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This grant supports laboratory and preclinical work rather than direct patient enrollment, though future clinical trials could target people whose cancers develop resistance to therapy.
Not a fit: People without cancer or whose tumors are driven by unrelated mechanisms are unlikely to benefit directly from this lab-focused project in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or overcome cancer therapy resistance and make treatments work longer for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Related single-cell and lineage-barcoding studies have uncovered resistance pathways in lab models, but combining multiomic single-cell data with spatial lineage tracking and CRISPR validation is a newer, more comprehensive approach.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Nancy R — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Nancy R
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.