Role of the Nucleus in YAP/TAZ Control in Head and Neck Cancer
Official title: Role of the Nucleus in Regulating YAP/TAZ Transcriptional Programs in Head and Neck Cancer
Funded at Texas Engineering Experiment Station · NIH-11448647 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how changes in the cell nucleus influence YAP/TAZ pathways that drive head and neck cancer, with the hope of finding biomarkers for treatment response.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Engineering Experiment Station NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, United States) |
| Project start | July 6, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $471,793 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA309682-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11448647 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, especially those with FAT1 mutations or YAP1/TAZ activation, could be candidates for future biomarker-guided therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Results may be less directly beneficial for patients whose tumors do not involve FAT1/YAP/TAZ alterations or do not show actionable nuclear remodeling patterns.
What this research studies
This project explores how the nucleus’s wrinkling state affects whether YAP1/TAZ promotes tumor growth or EMT in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Researchers will study FAT1 mutations and their impact on the Hippo pathway, and test how nuclear structure may steer cancer cells toward different outcomes. The work includes examining ATAC-seq data and related chromatin features to link nuclear architecture with gene programs. By identifying mechanistic biomarkers, the study seeks to predict which patients might respond to Hippo-YAP inhibitors in future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more precise predictions about who will respond to YAP/TEAD inhibitors and from targeted therapies guided by tumor biology.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests YAP/TAZ activity influences cancer aggressiveness, but this project aims to translate nuclear biology into predictive biomarkers, which remains a developing area.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas Engineering Experiment Station
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lele, Tanmay P. — Texas Engineering Experiment Station
- Study coordinator: Lele, Tanmay P.
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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.