Mapping single- and double-strand DNA breaks and gene activity in individual tumor cells
Official title: Single-cell Joint Profiling of Single- and Double-Stranded DNA Breaks with Transcriptome
Funded at New York Genome Center · NIH-11311609 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will measure single- and double-strand DNA breaks alongside gene activity in individual cancer cells to help tailor DNA-damaging treatments to the right patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York Genome Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 5, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $270,683 |
| NIH project number | 1R61CA309705-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11311609 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cancers where DNA repair defects are suspected or who are being considered for DNA-damaging treatments and can provide tumor samples for molecular profiling.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without available tumor tissue, whose tumors lack DNA repair-related changes, or who require immediate standard treatment may not receive direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
You would have tumor cells analyzed one by one to find where single- and double-strand DNA breaks happen and how those breaks affect gene activity. The team will use single-cell multiomics methods, building on Paired-Damage-seq, to capture DNA break types and RNA from the same cell. By comparing many individual cancer cells and cell lines, they will map damage hotspots, links to epigenetic changes, and cell-type specific patterns. This lab-based work aims to create tools that could guide more personalized use of therapies that rely on causing DNA damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors predict which tumors will respond to DNA-damaging therapies and personalize treatment to improve effectiveness and reduce side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Related bulk DNA damage sequencing and single-cell multiomics studies have shown promise, but combining single- and double-strand break mapping with transcriptome data at single-cell resolution is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
New York Genome Center
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhu, Chenxu — New York Genome Center
- Study coordinator: Zhu, Chenxu
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.