How human cellular protein complexes form inside cells
Official title: Molecular mechanisms underlying the assembly of the human proteasome and endogenous protein complexes
Funded at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute · NIH-11382072 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project uses advanced imaging and gene editing to study how human protein machines assemble inside cells, with a focus on the proteasome and related complexes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $487,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM147487-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382072 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients or populations with cancers where proteasome function and complex assembly are relevant to disease biology, and who have available tissue or blood samples for correlative studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not affected by cancers or unrelated conditions may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to develop methods to tag and purify endogenous human proteins using CRISPR/Cas genome editing so we can study protein machines under natural cellular conditions. By applying cryo-EM, scientists will visualize assembly pathways of important complexes like the proteasome in their native context, which could reveal how they function in health and disease. The work involves refining sample prep, studying constitutive and cell-type specific complexes, and exploring how cell state affects membrane protein assemblies in cancers. The research is designed to translate structural insights into better understanding of cancer biology and potential therapeutic targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to deeper understanding of how cancer-related protein complexes assemble, potentially guiding new treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that endogenous tagging and cryo-EM can reveal native complex structures, with growing success in understanding assembly pathways.
Where this research is happening
-
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhao, Jianhua — Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
- Study coordinator: Zhao, Jianhua
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging and liver cancer: new ways to prevent and fight hepatocellular carcinoma
This research explores how aging promotes liver cancer and tests new preventive approaches that could help people at higher risk due to age.
-
EPHA2 signaling and breast cancer spread tied to the body’s stiffness
This grant explores how the EPHA2 receptor helps breast cancer cells respond to the stiffness of their surroundings and whether activating EPHA2’s normal signaling can block cancer invasion.
-
Molecule-focused study on soluble TREM2 in Alzheimer's disease
A study to understand how soluble TREM2 in the brain and spinal fluid may influence Alzheimer's disease in people with the condition or at risk for it.
-
How NRF2 and FBP1 control liver metabolism
This work looks at whether changes in two liver proteins, NRF2 and FBP1, help explain low blood sugar and fat buildup in the liver for people with metabolic liver problems or rare FBP1 deficiency.
-
How mitochondrial and immune signals drive inflammation linked to Alzheimer's
This project looks at how damaged mitochondria and immune signaling cause inflammation that may contribute to Alzheimer's disease.
-
Nup210’s role in leukemia and its potential as a target
A doctor-scientist team is studying how a protein called Nup210 helps a type of blood cancer (AML) grow, with the goal of finding new ways to predict outcomes and treat the disease.
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.