How DNA is folded inside resting (quiescent) cells
Mechanisms and functions of three-dimensional chromatin structures in quiescent cells
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11176946
Researchers will learn how DNA is packaged in quiet, non-dividing cells to better understand links to stem cell health and cancer coming back.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (FORT COLLINS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11176946 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project uses high-resolution genome mapping, advanced microscopy, and biochemical experiments to see how DNA folds in cells that have exited the cell cycle. The team studies topologically associated domains (TADs) and other loop structures formed by proteins like cohesin and condensin, and examines how nucleosomes pack into a chromatin fiber. Work is done in a quiescent budding yeast model as a tractable way to reveal basic mechanisms that are shared with human cells. Because quiescent cells show global transcription shutdown and condensed chromatin, the findings could help explain how dormant cells survive and later reawaken in contexts such as stem cell maintenance and cancer recurrence.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not enroll patients directly — it is laboratory research using yeast models, though its findings may be relevant to people with cancer or conditions involving stem cell quiescence.
Not a fit: People without conditions related to cell quiescence or cancer are unlikely to see direct benefits from this basic laboratory work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new molecular features of dormant cells that lead to strategies to prevent cancer relapse or target hard-to-treat, non-dividing tumor cells.
How similar studies have performed: Studies of TADs, loop extrusion, and chromatin structure in dividing cells are well established, but applying very high-resolution genomics and microscopy to quiescent cells is a newer, less-explored approach.
Where this research is happening
FORT COLLINS, UNITED STATES
- COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY — FORT COLLINS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: SWYGERT, SARAH GRACE — COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: SWYGERT, SARAH GRACE
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.
Conditions: Cancers