How ELAVL1 helps glioblastoma cells share genes and drive tumor diversity
ELAVL1 role in glioblastoma heterogeneity through intercellular gene transfer mediated by cell fusion and tunneling membrane nanotube formation
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · NIH-11284006
Researchers are looking at how the protein ELAVL1 helps glioblastoma cells swap genetic material, which can make tumors more diverse and harder to treat.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BIRMINGHAM, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11284006 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
As someone with glioblastoma, it's helpful to know researchers will use pieces of real patient tumors and lab models to see how cancer cells fuse or connect through tiny nanotubes to pass genes. They will map which cells carry which genes using high-resolution spatial RNA mapping and single-cell sequencing, and study the proteins involved by mass spectrometry. The team will alter ELAVL1 and other genes with targeted CRISPR tools and fluorescence reporters to watch how gene transfer changes cell behavior. Promising findings will be tested in lab-grown tumor environments and in mouse glioma models.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with glioblastoma who can donate tumor tissue (for example during surgery) or who are treated at centers collaborating on related clinical efforts.
Not a fit: People without glioblastoma or with brain tumors that do not use cell-fusion or tunneling-nanotube mechanisms are unlikely to see direct benefits from this project in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal targets to stop tumor cells from sharing resistance genes and help guide new therapies for glioblastoma.
How similar studies have performed: Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics and CRISPR-based gene manipulation have shown success in cancer research generally, but applying these methods to ELAVL1-driven cell fusion and tunneling nanotubes in glioblastoma is a relatively new and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
BIRMINGHAM, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM — BIRMINGHAM, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: NABORS, LOUIS B — UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- Study coordinator: NABORS, LOUIS B
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.