How polyamines work inside cells
Official title: Elucidating the molecular and cellular functions of polyamines
Funded at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res · NIH-11162470 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds new lab tools to track and understand cellular polyamines to help people with cancers and other polyamine-related disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $487,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM151111-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11162470 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancers known to have high polyamine levels or with genetic polyamine disorders such as Snyder-Robinson syndrome would be the most relevant patient groups for future related studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment options or clinical care are unlikely to benefit directly because this is laboratory research, not a therapeutic trial.
What this research studies
Researchers will develop quantitative tests to measure polyamine levels inside living cells and create methods to follow how those levels change. They will study how cells keep polyamine balance and identify the proteins that bring polyamines into cells. Lab experiments will probe how altered polyamine levels affect DNA packaging, protein production, autophagy, and stress responses to explain links to cancer and genetic disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new diagnostic markers and treatment targets for cancers and other diseases tied to polyamine imbalance.
How similar studies have gone: Some drugs targeting polyamine metabolism (for example DFMO) have shown promise in cancer prevention and control, but the precise molecular roles of polyamines remain relatively uncharted and this work is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jain, Ankur — Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res
- Study coordinator: Jain, Ankur
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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.