How unstable cancer DNA can trigger the immune system
Genome Instability Induced Anti-Tumor Immune Responses
This research looks at how damaged or unstable DNA in tumors can alert the immune system and how that might be used to help people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11309621 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The program brings together three linked projects and shared lab cores to understand how DNA damage, broken nuclear envelopes, and tissue architecture problems let tumor DNA and RNA be seen as "foreign." Researchers will use lab-grown cells, engineered chromosomes, and animal models to follow how nucleic acids leak into the cytoplasm and activate innate immune sensors. One project focuses on molecular DNA/RNA sensing, another on how mechanical stress and chromosome missegregation affect immune detection, and the third studies responses inside living tumors to design ways to strengthen anti-tumor immunity.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with cancers marked by high genomic instability—for example tumors with BRCA2-related defects or frequent chromosome missegregation—would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People whose cancers do not show genomic instability or who need immediate standard-of-care treatments are unlikely to directly benefit from this early-stage laboratory-focused program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to make tumors more visible to the immune system and lead to improved cancer immunotherapies.
How similar studies have performed: Related laboratory and preclinical studies targeting DNA-sensing pathways (such as cGAS-STING) have shown promise in animal models and early-stage clinical efforts are beginning, but patient-ready therapies remain early.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greenberg, Roger a — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Greenberg, Roger a
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.