How Replication Protein A helps keep DNA stable
Official title: Coordination of DNA Metabolism by Replication Protein A
Funded at Saint Louis University · NIH-11324225 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how a protein called Replication Protein A (RPA) shields and organizes exposed DNA during copying and repair to help prevent mutations linked to cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Saint Louis University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $546,612 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM149320-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324225 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project is laboratory-focused and does not enroll patients, but its findings may be relevant to people with cancers or hereditary conditions linked to DNA repair defects.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate clinical treatments or changes to their current care are unlikely to benefit directly because this is basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will dissect how RPA binds single-stranded DNA and how many different DNA-processing proteins interact with or remove RPA. They will use purified proteins, biochemical binding and kinetic assays, structural methods (for example cryo-EM or X-ray approaches), and cell-based experiments to see how RPA controls repair and replication steps. The team aims to learn which protein interactions are prioritized, how lower-affinity enzymes displace high-affinity RPA, and how RPA helps position enzymes on DNA. The goal is to build a detailed molecular picture of the processes that maintain genome stability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new molecular targets or strategies to prevent or treat cancers caused by failures in DNA maintenance.
How similar studies have gone: RPA and many DNA repair proteins have been studied before, but the precise mechanisms by which RPA directs and is removed by other enzymes remain incompletely understood.
Where this research is happening
-
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Antony, Edwin — Saint Louis University
- Study coordinator: Antony, Edwin
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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.