How human cells rebuild the telomere C-strand at chromosome ends
Mechanism of the Human Telomere C-Strand Fill-In Machinery Assembly and Activation at Chromosome Ends
This work looks at how human cells rebuild the 'back' strand of telomere DNA, which is important for people with certain cancers and inherited telomere disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11311910 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study the proteins (the CST complex and DNA polymerase alpha-primase) that assemble at chromosome ends to carry out telomere C-strand fill-in. They will use biochemical experiments, structural analyses, and human cell models to see how the machinery forms and becomes active. The team will identify molecular steps where errors cause chromosome instability that can drive cancer or rare telomere syndromes. Results are intended to reveal basic mechanisms that could point to new therapeutic strategies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers linked to abnormal telomere maintenance or inherited telomere disorders such as dyskeratosis congenita would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to telomere biology are unlikely to directly benefit from this research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new molecular targets to treat cancers or inherited diseases caused by faulty telomere maintenance.
How similar studies have performed: Telomerase biology has been well studied and produced important insights, but direct mechanistic work on CST–Polα-primase C-strand fill-in is relatively new and less tested.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lim, Ci Ji — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Lim, Ci Ji
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.