How small cell lung cancer cells switch between different states
Official title: Cellular plasticity gives rise to phenotypic equilibrium in small cell lung carcinoma
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11162301 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how cells inside small cell lung cancer change into different types and how those changes affect treatment for people with SCLC.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $872,275 |
| NIH project number | 4U01CA268052-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11162301 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with small cell lung cancer who can provide tumor tissue or whose tumor samples are available for research.
✕Less likely to help
People without small cell lung cancer or those unable to provide tumor samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
This project uses a large collection of patient-derived tumor models and lab-grown tumor cultures that keep the original tumor's behavior. Researchers will follow individual cancer cells to see how they shift between distinct phenotypic states and measure how quickly those changes happen. They will test standard chemotherapy on these different cell states to see which are killed and which survive. The team aims to explain why some cell populations persist after treatment and drive relapse.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to target the cancer cell types that survive chemotherapy and help reduce relapse in small cell lung cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Related studies using patient-derived models and single-cell methods have shown tumor cell diversity, but tracking single-cell phenotypic dynamics and equilibria in SCLC is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abazeed, Mohamed E. — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Abazeed, Mohamed E.
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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.