How the ATR protein protects DNA and affects cancer growth
Mechanisms and Functions of ATR signaling
This research is learning how blocking ATR, a key DNA-repair protein, could help cancer treatments work better for people whose tumors depend on ATR.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238897 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study ATR, a protein that helps cells cope with DNA damage and replication stress, to understand how it supports cancer cell survival. They will use biochemical experiments, genetic tools, and cell and animal models to map ATR’s actions and identify vulnerabilities in cancer cells. The team will test how ATR inhibition can make chemotherapy or PARP inhibitors more effective against tumors with DNA repair defects. Results will guide which patients might benefit from ATR-targeting drugs in future clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers that show high replication stress or defects in DNA repair genes (for example, tumors with BRCA or related mutations) would be the most likely candidates for therapies based on this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors do not rely on ATR or lack DNA repair defects are less likely to benefit from ATR-targeted approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to treatments that make chemotherapy or targeted drugs more effective against cancers with DNA repair problems.
How similar studies have performed: ATR inhibitors are already being tested in early clinical trials and preclinical studies show they can boost the effects of chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors, but optimal patient selection and combinations are still being worked out.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, UNITED STATES
- Vanderbilt University — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cortez, David K — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Cortez, David K
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.