How the cell's DNA-copying machinery handles stress
Mechanistic characterization of replisome components during replication stress
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA · NIH-11258774
This project looks at how the machines that copy DNA protect the genome during stress and how that can go wrong in cancers.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (TAMPA, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11258774 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From my perspective as someone affected by cancer, the team is mapping which proteins sit on stressed DNA replication forks and testing how those proteins keep newly made DNA from being cut up. They use biochemical screens and detailed lab experiments to follow replisome parts and chromatin changes when forks stall. The lab has already found factors that protect forks and will dig into how these factors work and fail, especially in cells with cancer-related defects like BRCA loss. Their methods are lab-based and focus on molecular mechanisms that underlie chromosomal instability in tumors.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People whose tumors show signs of replication stress or chromosomal instability—for example BRCA-deficient cancers—would be the most relevant patient group.
Not a fit: Healthy volunteers or patients without cancers linked to replication stress are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic lab research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets or biomarkers to prevent genome damage in cancer or to make cancer therapies more precise.
How similar studies have performed: Other laboratory studies have identified proteins that protect stalled replication forks and linked replication stress to cancer, but turning those findings into clinical treatments remains early-stage.
Where this research is happening
TAMPA, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA — TAMPA, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: DUNGRAWALA, HUZEFA MANNAN — UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
- Study coordinator: DUNGRAWALA, HUZEFA MANNAN
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.
Conditions: Cancer Genes, Cancer Treatment, Cancer-Promoting Gene, Cancers