How cells control actin filaments that affect infections and cancer spread
Official title: Control of actin filament networks by Arp2/3 complex and its regulators
Funded at University of Oregon · NIH-11349700 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are learning how a cell's internal 'skeleton' machinery called Arp2/3 and its helpers shape actin filaments that can influence bacterial infections and cancer spread.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oregon NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Eugene, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2020 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $594,275 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM136319-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349700 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with bacterial infections or patients with cancers that spread (metastasize) would be most relevant to the goals of this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose conditions do not involve cell movement or infection-related invasion are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team will rebuild actin filament systems in the lab and watch how the Arp2/3 complex and its regulatory proteins create and disassemble branched networks. They will use single-molecule fluorescence, live-cell imaging, and electron microscopy to observe events at different scales, and combine those experiments with computer simulations and filament-level modeling. The work focuses on specific regulators such as WASP family proteins and coronin 7 to learn how branching is initiated and how branches are released. Understanding these steps explains how normal cell movement works and how bacteria or cancer cells exploit the same machinery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to stop bacteria from invading cells or to block cancer cells from spreading by targeting actin-regulating proteins.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory studies have established that actin and Arp2/3 are involved in infection and metastasis, but the detailed mechanisms controlled by these specific regulators remain to be worked out using the planned approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Oregon
Eugene, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nolen, Bradley J — University of Oregon
- Study coordinator: Nolen, Bradley J
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.