Molecular Characterization of Radiation Effects in Rectal Cancer
Official title: Molecular Characterization Trial of Irradiated Rectal Cancer
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11419298 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-facing platform study aims to link tissue changes, imaging, and the immune system during radiotherapy for rectal cancer to improve future treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $178,553 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA274291-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11419298 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with rectal cancer planned for standard short-course radiotherapy who can provide tissue samples and imaging data.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing radiotherapy or who cannot provide tissue/imaging samples may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses real patient tissue and imaging data taken before, during, and after short-course radiotherapy to understand how tumors and surrounding tissue respond. Researchers will integrate laboratory analyses with imaging and clinical outcomes to build a model of how radiotherapy interacts with the body and microbiome. The study is organized across seven centers to speed up discoveries and apply findings to future care. It creates a foundation for testing new treatment ideas driven by biology observed in patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to more personalized radiotherapy approaches and better prediction of outcomes for rectal cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Other translational radiobiology studies have shown that integrating tissue, imaging, and clinical data can reveal biologically meaningful predictors of response.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Golden, Encouse — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Golden, Encouse
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Immune System and Radiation in Rectal Cancer
This grant supports a small international study to understand how radiation therapy interacts with the immune system in rectal cancer by collecting tumor, blood, stool, and lymph node samples from patients before and after treatment.
-
Targeting tryptophan metabolism to improve rectal cancer treatment
This NIH grant is exploring a new way to help people with locally advanced rectal cancer by combining radiation with a drug that blocks a pathway our immune system uses to protect tumors.
-
Time-restricted eating during rectal cancer treatment to reduce toxicity and improve outcomes
A clinical trial tests whether eating only within a set time window during cancer treatment can reduce side effects and help treatments work better for rectal cancer patients.
-
Enhancing Rectal Cancer Immunotherapy with Radiation-Induced Senescence and PTPN2 Inhibition
This grant explores a combo approach using radiation and a targeted inhibitor to boost the body's immune attack on rectal cancer, aiming to preserve the organ and reduce long-term side effects.
-
Early response to radiotherapy and immunotherapy in rectal cancer
A new approach combines short-course radiation, chemotherapy, and an immune therapy antibody to try to shrink rectal cancers before surgery or avoid surgery altogether.
-
Harnessing treatment-induced tumor evolution in rectal cancer using a patient-centered co-clinical platform
A Duke-led program tests how rectal cancers change during treatment to uncover new ways to improve outcomes for patients who might avoid surgery or have better responses.
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.