How cell membranes control signals inside cells
Reconstructing and deconstructing intracellular signaling at the membrane-cytosol interface
Researchers will rebuild the cell's signaling machinery in the lab to see how signals at the membrane are turned on, amplified, or shut off, which is important for cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11296920 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will create simplified membrane systems in the lab and add concentrated cell extracts to recreate the complex signaling environment that exists in real cells. They will focus on receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathways, rebuilding these networks to watch how signals start, spread, and stop across space and time. The team will use this hybrid reconstitution approach to connect detailed biochemical measurements with behaviors seen in living cells. This work aims to explain how signaling goes wrong in disease and to identify steps that might be targeted by future therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project is laboratory-based and does not recruit patients, though people with cancer could benefit from follow-on clinical research informed by these findings.
Not a fit: Patients looking for immediate treatment options or clinical trial enrollment will not receive direct benefit from this basic lab research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new points in signaling pathways to target with drugs or biomarkers for cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Reconstitution approaches have clarified simpler signaling systems before, but using undiluted cell extracts to rebuild complex RTK networks at membrane interfaces is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Yuan-Chi — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Huang, Yuan-Chi
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.