How RNA Splicing Might Shape Glioma Cell States and Therapy Response
Official title: Regulation of Glioma Cell State Transition and Therapy Response by RNA Alternative Splicing
Funded at Medical University of South Carolina · NIH-11509415 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small NIH-funded project will study how alternative RNA splicing influences glioma cell identities and treatment resistance in patient-derived cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $188,750 |
| NIH project number | 1R21NS148843-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11509415 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with glioma whose tumor cells can be grown as stem-like cell lines or samples suitable for single-cell RNA sequencing.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not show the studied splicing patterns or do not yield usable patient-derived cells may not benefit.
What this research studies
Glioblastoma and related brain tumors are highly diverse and often resistant to therapy. This project investigates how different splicing patterns of RNA create glioma cell states that resemble neural lineages and how these states relate to treatment response. Using patient-derived glioma stem-like cells, the team will focus on a specific exon skipping event in a gene called TCF12 and test how forcing this exon to be included changes neuronal gene expression. The goal is to uncover molecular switch(es) that could guide future therapies to target resistant cell states.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could point to new ways to overcome therapy resistance by targeting RNA splicing in glioma cells.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked RNA splicing to cellular identity in cancer, with promising but early evidence in glioma.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Song, Xiao — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Song, Xiao
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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.