How Cilia are Built and Taken Apart in Our Cells
Mechanisms of Primary Cilium Assembly and Disassembly
This work explores how tiny, hair-like structures on our cells, called cilia, are formed and removed, and how these processes connect to diseases like certain cancers and inherited conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11088495 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies have tiny, hair-like structures called cilia on most cells, which play a crucial role in cell communication and function. When these cilia don't work correctly, it can lead to various health problems, including inherited conditions known as ciliopathies and potentially certain cancers. This project aims to uncover the basic steps involved in how cilia are put together, maintained, and taken apart within our cells. By understanding these fundamental processes, we hope to learn how errors in cilia function contribute to disease. This knowledge could eventually lead to better ways to understand, diagnose, and treat these conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research does not directly involve patient participation, but future studies stemming from this work could benefit patients with ciliopathies or specific types of cancer linked to ciliary dysfunction.
Not a fit: Patients whose conditions are not related to primary cilium function or its assembly and disassembly mechanisms would likely not see direct benefit from this specific basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could provide a deeper understanding of how cilia defects cause diseases, potentially leading to new strategies for diagnosis and treatment of ciliopathies and certain cancers.
How similar studies have performed: While the importance of cilia in signaling and disease is established, this research focuses on identifying and characterizing specific molecular mechanisms, which is a novel and ongoing area of investigation.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Breslow, David King — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Breslow, David King
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.