How proline hydroxylation helps cancer cells sense metabolism and low oxygen
Functional Dissection of Metabolic-Sensing Proline Hydroxylation Pathways
Researchers are mapping a chemical switch called proline hydroxylation that cancer cells use to sense oxygen and metabolic stress to help identify new ways to treat cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11389216 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have cancer, this project maps a chemical change called proline hydroxylation that helps cells sense oxygen and metabolic stress. Researchers will build new proteomics tools to find which proteins carry this modification across cells — the "proline hydroxylome" — and measure how those marks change. They will test how low oxygen, iron levels, and metabolic molecules alter these marks in lab-grown cancer cells and study effects on proteins that control cell survival. This is lab-based work using cells and advanced protein analysis rather than a treatment trial, so it focuses on discovering targets rather than giving therapies directly.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancer who can donate tumor tissue or biospecimens for research, or who may be eligible for follow-up clinical trials based on discoveries, are the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Patients without cancer or those seeking immediate treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new drug targets or biomarkers that help treat or monitor cancers more effectively.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work on the HIF pathway and individual hydroxylation targets has informed cancer biology, but system-wide mapping of proline hydroxylation is relatively new and still emerging.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Yue — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Chen, Yue
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.