Repairing environmental damage to telomeres
Excision Repair of Environmental Telomere Damage
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · NIH-11325853
This project explores how environmental exposures damage telomeres and works on ways to repair that damage to help people at risk for cancer and age-related diseases.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11325853 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers use a precise lab tool that creates specific DNA lesions only at telomeres so they can see how those lesions cause telomere shortening and dysfunction. The team combines experiments in human tissue samples, cell cultures, and animal models to follow what happens when these lesions form and how repair processes respond. They focus on particular base lesions and the toxic repair intermediates that can block telomere copying and maintenance. The overall aim is to link environmental genotoxic stress to mechanisms of degeneration and cancer and to point toward possible prevention or repair strategies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include people exposed to environmental genotoxic agents (for example smokers or certain occupational exposures) and patients with telomere-related disorders or cancers that involve telomere dysfunction.
Not a fit: People with conditions unrelated to telomere shortening or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or repair telomere damage, potentially reducing age-related degeneration and cancer risk.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked telomere damage to disease and the investigators have validated their targeted chemoptogenetic tool, but applying targeted base lesions at telomeres is a novel approach with limited prior clinical testing.
Where this research is happening
PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: OPRESKO, PATRICIA L — UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- Study coordinator: OPRESKO, PATRICIA L
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.
Conditions: Cancer Induction