How heat shock factors help cancer cells manage damaging protein stress
Official title: Regulation and interplay of Heat Shock Factors in growth-associated proteotoxic stresses
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11176246 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are learning how proteins called heat shock factors let cancer cells survive harmful protein buildup so they can find new ways to stop tumor growth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $328,355 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM144617-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176246 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with solid tumors—especially cancers known to show high heat shock factor activity—who may consider donating tumor samples for research or joining future related trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without cancer or those whose tumors do not depend on heat shock factor pathways are unlikely to see direct benefit from this work in the near term.
What this research studies
This project looks at a group of proteins, heat shock factors, that help cells cope when proteins fold incorrectly or clump together. The team studies cancer cells and lab models to see how these factors switch on different genes in tumors compared with classic heat-stress responses. They use biochemical tests, gene-activity mapping, and cell and tissue experiments to pinpoint the mechanisms that let tumors adapt to proteotoxic stress. By mapping these pathways, researchers hope to reveal vulnerabilities that drug development could target in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets that make tumors less able to survive stress and lead to improved cancer treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory studies show HSF1 supports tumor growth and early preclinical work suggests blocking these pathways can slow cancer, but moving this into patient therapies remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mendillo, Marc — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Mendillo, Marc
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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.