How cells repair dangerous DNA breaks
Novel Mechanisms and Regulation of Mammalian Double-Strand Break Repair
This project is learning how cells fix the most harmful breaks in their DNA to help people with cancer and other genetic problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Thomas Jefferson University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11257307 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The lab is studying the molecular machines that fix double‑strand DNA breaks, focusing on several repair routes that can be accurate or error‑prone. Researchers use cell models, genetic tools like CRISPR, biochemical approaches, and analysis of repair proteins to map how these pathways work and are controlled. The team follows newly discovered mechanisms such as polymerase theta–mediated repair and RNA‑templated repair to see how they influence genome stability. Findings aim to clarify why some cells survive DNA damage and how those processes are linked to cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers known or suspected to involve DNA repair defects, or patients willing to provide tumor or blood samples for lab research, would be the most relevant candidates to engage with this work.
Not a fit: Patients seeking an immediate new treatment or those with conditions unrelated to DNA repair are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic research in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets for cancer drugs, improve the safety of genome editing, and help tailor treatments for tumors with DNA repair defects.
How similar studies have performed: Basic research on DNA repair has already led to successes like PARP inhibitors for repair‑deficient cancers and to CRISPR gene‑editing tools, but many of the specific repair pathways studied here are newly described and less tested clinically.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Thomas Jefferson University — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pomerantz, Richard T — Thomas Jefferson University
- Study coordinator: Pomerantz, Richard T
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.