Mortalin's role in thyroid cancer metabolism and therapy
Official title: The Role of Mortalin in Thyroid Cancer
Funded at Medical College of Wisconsin · NIH-11349702 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how mortalin supports thyroid cancer cell metabolism and whether targeting these metabolic pathways could kill cancer cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | July 10, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $431,406 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA269452-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349702 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with thyroid cancer, particularly those whose tumors show metabolic reprogramming linked to mortalin activity, could be eligible for future trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not depend on mortalin-regulated metabolism may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Thyroid cancer cells rely on altered metabolism to grow, and mortalin may help protect them from metabolic stress. The study aims to uncover how mortalin is increased in thyroid tumors and what metabolic processes it controls. By linking mortalin to key metabolic pathways, researchers hope to identify a vulnerability that could be exploited with new treatments. If successful, this work could point to combination strategies that push cancer cells past a tipping point to cell death.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could lead to new metabolic-based therapies for thyroid cancer that selectively harm tumor cells.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work showed that mortalin depletion stresses tumor cell metabolism and can induce cell death in thyroid cancer cell lines, supporting a potential therapeutic angle.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Park, Jong-in — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Park, Jong-in
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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.