How cells pick their identity and shape tissues, and how cancer disrupts that
Regulating cell fate and shaping the body plan during morphogenesis and their alteration during oncogenesis
Scientists are figuring out how cells organize into tissues and what goes wrong in cancers, aiming to help people with cancers and certain developmental disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180152 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work looks at the basic rules cells use to become the right type and arrange themselves into tissues, using fruit flies and cultured mammalian cells as models. The team watches cells with advanced microscopes and uses genetic tools to study proteins like APC and beta‑catenin that control cell adhesion and Wnt signaling. Because these proteins are often altered in developmental disorders and many cancers, the research connects fundamental biology to human disease. The goal is to uncover mechanisms that could point toward future diagnostics or treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with APC gene mutations (for example familial adenomatous polyposis), colorectal cancer, or tumors known to involve Wnt/beta‑catenin pathway alterations would be most relevant to this line of research.
Not a fit: Patients whose conditions are unrelated to APC, beta‑catenin, adherens junctions, or Wnt signaling, or who need immediate clinical treatment, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic science work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could reveal new biological targets or strategies to prevent or treat cancers driven by APC/Wnt pathway disruptions and clarify causes of related developmental disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Prior lab studies in fruit flies and cell models have successfully clarified many aspects of APC and Wnt biology and informed cancer research, but translating those findings into direct treatments is still an ongoing challenge.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peifer, Mark a. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Peifer, Mark 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.