How cells control growth and division
Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Cycle Control
Researchers are using yeast and human cells to learn how the molecular switches that time cell growth and division can go wrong in cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11088445 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, the team studies simple budding yeast to map how proteins are modified at many sites and how those changes change protein behavior. They use a new high-throughput method to dissect multisite phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and then check whether similar mechanisms operate in human transcription factors that drive cell proliferation. The lab also looks at how cells pause or resume the cell cycle when under stress to understand survival strategies. This work is done in the lab rather than as a clinical treatment, with the goal of linking basic mechanisms to human cancer biology.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers driven by abnormal cell-cycle regulation could be the eventual group who benefit from therapies that emerge from these findings.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or those with conditions unrelated to cell-cycle control are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this laboratory research now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new molecular targets that help stop uncontrolled cell growth in cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Basic research on cell-cycle proteins has previously led to important cancer drugs, while the specific multisite phosphorylation mapping used here is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Benanti, Jennifer a — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Benanti, Jennifer a
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.