How cells use SUMO and ubiquitin to protect DNA
Defining Genome Stability Mechanisms and their Regulation by SUMO and Ubiquitin
This work explores how two small protein tags, SUMO and ubiquitin, help cells preserve DNA integrity and affect conditions like acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11097578 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will focus on how SUMO and ubiquitin are added to proteins and how that tagging controls protein fate, DNA repair, and antiviral defenses. The team will study a tagging-directed enzyme (STUbL) and the SMC5/6 chromosome maintenance complex using molecular and cell-based lab experiments. They will track how tagged proteins are removed by p97 and the proteasome and how this process links to telomere health and the action of arsenic trioxide in leukemia. Findings aim to connect basic tagging mechanisms to disease-relevant outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with acute promyelocytic leukemia or others interested in therapies related to SUMO/ubiquitin pathways would be most relevant to follow this research.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate clinical treatments or those with conditions unrelated to SUMO/ubiquitin-driven disease mechanisms are unlikely to gain direct, short-term benefit from this basic research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug targets or improve understanding of why arsenic trioxide helps some leukemia patients.
How similar studies have performed: Arsenic trioxide is already a successful treatment for APL that involves SUMO/ubiquitin activity, but the detailed molecular mechanisms targeted here remain an active and developing area of research.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boddy, Michael N — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Boddy, Michael N
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.