How changes in TET, DNMT3A, ASXL1 and OGT affect blood stem cell clones and cancer risk
Official title: The TET-DNMT-ASXL1-OGT axis: relevance to clonal hematopoiesis, heterochromatin integrity and cancer
Funded at La Jolla Institute for Immunology · NIH-11179226 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how specific gene changes in blood stem cells may cause clonal blood cell growth and raise the risk of cancer and inflammation for people with those mutations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | La Jolla Institute for Immunology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2016 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,098,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R35CA210043-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11179226 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be adults with clonal hematopoiesis or known mutations in TET2, DNMT3A or ASXL1, people with related blood cancers, or older adults with unexplained abnormal blood counts.
✕Less likely to help
People without blood stem cell mutations or those seeking immediate treatment are unlikely to gain direct clinical benefit from this basic laboratory-focused work.
What this research studies
Researchers use lab experiments on cells and genetic mouse models plus gene-editing (CRISPR) screens to see how mutations in TET2, DNMT3A, ASXL1 and OGT change DNA and chromatin in blood stem cells. They measure DNA methylation and histone marks in heterochromatin and track how those changes let certain blood cell clones expand. The team links these molecular changes to increased expression of transposable elements, genome instability, and inflammation that are seen in aging, clonal hematopoiesis, and cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to markers for earlier detection of harmful blood cell clones and suggest targets for therapies that restore chromatin stability.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory and mouse studies have already linked these mutations to clonal hematopoiesis and genome instability, but translating those findings into clinical tests or treatments remains early-stage.
Where this research is happening
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La Jolla Institute for Immunology
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rao, Anjana — La Jolla Institute for Immunology
- Study coordinator: Rao, Anjana
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.