How mitochondrial Complex I truncations affect cancer cells
Official title: Defining the function of Complex I truncating mutations in cancer
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11473572 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Learning how specific mitochondrial DNA mutations change cancer cell behavior in colorectal, kidney, and thyroid cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $155,707 |
| NIH project number | 3R37CA276200-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11473572 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with colorectal, kidney, or thyroid cancers—especially those whose tumors show mitochondrial DNA mutations—would be most relevant to the findings of this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without cancer or patients whose tumors lack mitochondrial DNA mutations are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
If you have cancer, this project uses a new mitochondrial DNA editing tool to introduce disruptive truncating mutations into genes that power cell energy (Complex I) in cancer cell lines grown in the lab. Researchers will measure how these mutations change the mix of normal and mutant mitochondrial DNA (heteroplasmy), cell energy production, and gene activity using single-cell sequencing and biochemical tests. The team focuses on cancer types where these mutations are common, like colorectal, kidney, and thyroid cancers, to see whether the mutations help tumors survive or change their metabolism. Findings will come from carefully controlled lab experiments rather than treatments given to patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new cancer metabolic vulnerabilities that might lead to treatments targeting tumors with mitochondrial DNA defects.
How similar studies have gone: Related work has successfully used DdCBE tools to make point changes in mitochondrial DNA, but deliberately creating truncating Complex I mutations in cancer cells is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reznik, Eduard — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Reznik, Eduard
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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.