NRF2: the body's stress-response and arsenic-linked cancer and diabetes
NRF Transcription Factors in Environmental Stress and Disease Intervention
This project looks at whether changing NRF2, a key cell-protection pathway, can reduce harm from long-term arsenic exposure that raises risks for some cancers and type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300989 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be hearing about research that focuses on how chronic arsenic exposure alters the NRF2 cellular stress response and contributes to cancer and type 2 diabetes. Scientists will use laboratory cell studies and animal models to map the molecular steps by which arsenic damages tissues via NRF2 dysregulation. They will test drug-like compounds that either boost or restrain NRF2 activity to find approaches that prevent or reverse arsenic-induced injury in preclinical models. The aim is to advance promising candidates toward early human testing in the future.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future participation would be people with documented long-term arsenic exposure or those with cancers or type 2 diabetes thought to be linked to arsenic exposure.
Not a fit: Patients without a history of arsenic exposure or with conditions unrelated to NRF2-driven pathways are unlikely to see direct benefit from this work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new medicines or preventive treatments that lower the risk of arsenic-related cancers and type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory studies and some clinical drugs that modulate NRF2 have shown promise, but applying NRF2-targeting specifically to prevent or treat arsenic-related cancer and diabetes remains an area of active, partly novel research.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Donna D — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Donna D
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 below.