New treatment targets for head and neck cancer in Veterans
Official title: Novel Targets to Treat Head & Neck Cancer in Veterans
Funded at VA Medical Center · NIH-11471967 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for ways to block a protein called TMEM16A that helps head and neck cancers grow in Veterans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2021 |
| Project end | September 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX005340-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11471967 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans with precancerous (dysplastic) or early-stage oral cavity or larynx lesions who are undergoing biopsy or treatment at the VA.
✕Less likely to help
People without aerodigestive tract lesions or those with unrelated conditions are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers discovered TMEM16A is overactive in precancerous mouth and larynx tissue from Veterans and want to know if it helps cancers start as well as grow. They will study patient tissue samples, use lab-grown cancer cells, and run animal experiments to map how TMEM16A interacts with EGFR family proteins and other growth signals. The team will test molecules that block TMEM16A to see whether blocking it slows or prevents progression from pre-cancerous changes to invasive cancer. Work is based at the VA Medical Center in New York with cancer biology labs and aims to translate lab findings toward future patient-focused options.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to ways to prevent or stop early head and neck cancers in Veterans by targeting TMEM16A.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior work links TMEM16A to cancer growth and EGFR-targeting drugs help some head and neck cancers, but targeting TMEM16A specifically as a prevention strategy is largely new and not yet proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Medical Center
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Duvvuri, Umamaheswar — VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Duvvuri, Umamaheswar
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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.