How the molecule YTHDC1 affects blood stem cells and leukemia
Official title: The role of YTHDC1 in normal and malignant hematopoiesis
Funded at Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope · NIH-11471562 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether higher levels of the molecule YTHDC1 change how blood stem cells behave and contribute to acute myeloid leukemia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Duarte, United States) |
| Project start | May 10, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $386,344 |
| NIH project number | 7R01CA259576-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11471562 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with acute myeloid leukemia, especially those whose leukemia shows MLL-type gene rearrangements or high YTHDC1 expression, would be most directly relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without blood cancers or with AML driven by unrelated molecular mechanisms may not receive direct benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
The team will study the nuclear m6A reader protein YTHDC1, which helps control RNA splicing, export, and decay and is found at higher levels in AML. They will combine laboratory experiments using leukemia cell lines and mouse models (including MLL-AF9 models) with analysis of human AML samples to see how YTHDC1 affects leukemia stem cells. Genetic approaches will be used to reduce or increase YTHDC1 activity and observe effects on blood stem cell function, leukemia development, and RNA processing patterns. The goal is to identify molecular changes that keep leukemia stem cells alive and point to possible new treatment targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could reveal new molecular targets to develop treatments that better eliminate leukemia stem cells in AML.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies have linked m6A RNA regulators to leukemia with promising results, but YTHDC1's direct role in human AML is novel and less established.
Where this research is happening
-
Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
Duarte, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qian, Zhijian — Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
- Study coordinator: Qian, Zhijian
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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.