Shared gene switches in neuroendocrine cancers
Official title: Convergent Epigenetic Control of Neuroendocrine Cancers
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11308225 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are mapping how gene-control systems drive neuroendocrine cancers of the lung, prostate, small intestine, and skin to find shared weaknesses that could lead to better treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,380,970 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA295524-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11308225 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors, neuroendocrine prostate cancer, small cell lung cancer, or Merkel cell carcinoma who can provide tumor tissue or participate in tissue-based studies.
✕Less likely to help
People without a neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis or those unable to provide tumor samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
This program will compare tumor and normal samples across four neuroendocrine cancers—small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors, neuroendocrine prostate cancer, small cell lung cancer, and Merkel cell carcinoma—to find common patterns in gene control and chromatin accessibility. Scientists will use techniques like ATAC-seq and ChIP-seq to see which genes are turned on or off and which regulatory proteins control them. The work is organized as three linked projects supported by an epigenomics core so data and methods are shared across cancer types. The goal is to identify shared molecular vulnerabilities that could point to new drug targets or improve responses to targeted and immune therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal shared molecular 'switches' across neuroendocrine cancers that point to new drug targets or ways to make current treatments work better.
How similar studies have gone: Epigenetic and sequencing approaches have found actionable targets in some cancers, but using a coordinated, cross-tissue epigenetic program to find shared vulnerabilities in neuroendocrine cancers is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Decaprio, James a. — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Decaprio, James a.
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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.