How some cancers adapt when a key mitochondrial enzyme (SDH) stops working
Project 2: Systemic Understanding of Cellular Mechanisms of Metabolic Adaptations in Cancer
This project examines how cancer cells missing the SDH enzyme change their metabolism over time to reveal new weaknesses that could help people with SDH-related or advanced cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New Mexico State University Las Cruces NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Las Cruces, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11190916 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my point of view, researchers grow cancer cells that lack the mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and follow how they adapt over months. They track metabolic changes such as dependence on the amino acid aspartate and use detailed proteomics to see which mitochondrial proteins change, including parts of the electron transport chain. By mapping these stepwise adaptations, the team aims to find metabolic bottlenecks or new vulnerabilities. Those findings would guide ideas for therapies that target cancers with SDH loss or similar metabolic profiles.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with tumors that have loss-of-function SDH mutations or who have advanced cancers showing similar metabolic features would be the most relevant candidates for future trials or sample donation.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancers do not involve SDH loss or do not rely on the same metabolic pathways are less likely to see direct benefits from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets or treatment strategies that exploit metabolic weaknesses in SDH-deficient or metabolically similar cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has shown that targeting cancer metabolism can slow tumor growth in some cases, but studying long-term adaptation to SDH loss and the vulnerabilities it creates is a newer and less-tested direction.
Where this research is happening
Las Cruces, United States
- New Mexico State University Las Cruces — Las Cruces, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jeon, Soyoung — New Mexico State University Las Cruces
- Study coordinator: Jeon, Soyoung
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.