Melanoma: understanding how melanoma cells change identity and resist therapy
Official title: Transcriptional Reprogramming in Melanoma Plasticity
Funded at Wistar Institute · NIH-11349716 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying advanced melanoma to understand why some tumors stop responding to therapy and spread, aiming to find new ways to stop this by targeting how melanoma cells change their behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wistar Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | July 18, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,783,158 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA289624-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349716 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with advanced melanoma, especially those who have or may develop resistance to current therapies, could be eligible for future trials or related studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with melanoma that already respond well to therapy may not directly benefit from this mechanistic research.
What this research studies
This project looks at why melanoma cells switch their appearance and become more aggressive under stress, which helps tumors grow and resist treatment. It focuses on the TFEB gene, a controller of how cells differentiate, and how its activity affects melanoma progression and the immune environment in tumors. Using patient-derived tumor data and laboratory models, the team will map how TFEB interacts with other genetic changes and with signals from the surrounding tissue. The goal is to identify key points where therapy could prevent or reverse harmful changes in melanoma cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new strategies that prevent therapy resistance and improve survival for people with advanced melanoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous findings suggest TFEB-related pathways influence melanoma progression and therapy response, supporting potential translational impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Wistar Institute
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liang, Chengyu — Wistar Institute
- Study coordinator: Liang, Chengyu
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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.