How droplet-like cell structures affect ALS and cancer
Cell Organization Through Phase Separation: Mechanisms, Functions and Disease
This work looks at how tiny droplet-like structures inside cells form and change in diseases like ALS and cancer to help us understand what goes wrong.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11145099 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers study biomolecular condensates, droplet-like clumps of proteins and RNA that form without membranes and help organize cell activity. The lab uses biochemical and biophysical experiments, cell models, and molecular tools to track how these condensates form, how they can harden from liquid to solid, and how that hardening may create harmful protein assemblies. They also examine how condensates interact with chromatin and signaling pathways that control gene expression and cell behavior. Because misregulated condensates have been linked to neurodegeneration (including ALS) and cancer, the team connects these basic findings to disease mechanisms that might guide future treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with ALS, certain neurodegenerative conditions, or cancers linked to protein aggregation or chromatin changes might be future candidates for therapies that stem from this work.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment should not expect direct benefit from this basic laboratory research at this time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets and strategies to prevent or reverse harmful protein aggregates in ALS and improve cancer therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies have shown phase separation can concentrate signaling molecules and form solid aggregates linked to disease, but turning these insights into treatments is still early and ongoing.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rosen, Michael K — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Rosen, Michael K
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.