Mapping cell lipids to find new treatment targets

Spatial metabolomics with subcellular resolution to identify therapeutic targets

NIH-funded research Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge · NIH-11317169

This project develops ultra-high-resolution ways to map fats inside cells to find targets that could help people with drug-resistant cancers and other diseases linked to lipid problems.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionLouisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Baton Rouge, United States)
Project IDNIH-11317169 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

The team is creating spatial metabolomics methods that can see lipid types and chemical damage inside single cells and tissues. They will study how lipid peroxidation (a chemical change tied to ferroptosis) happens in cell cultures and animal models of drug-resistant cancer. By combining multiple molecular measurements at subcellular resolution, the researchers hope to pinpoint lipid changes that trigger a form of cell death useful for killing resistant cancer cells. Findings may also shed light on lipid-related processes in heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegeneration.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with cancers that have become resistant to chemotherapy, or patients willing to provide tissue samples for research, would be the most directly relevant groups.

Not a fit: Healthy people or patients whose conditions are unrelated to lipid metabolism likely would not see direct benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new molecular targets that allow therapies to kill cancer cells that no longer respond to standard drugs.

How similar studies have performed: Laboratory studies targeting ferroptosis and lipid peroxidation have shown promise in killing drug-resistant cancer cells in preclinical models, but clinical translation remains early.

Where this research is happening

Baton Rouge, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Cancer TreatmentCancersCardiovascular DiseasesDegenerative Neurologic Disorders
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.