Targeting CDKs for Cancer Treatment
Official title: Cyclin Dependent Kinases as Epigenetic Therapy Targets
Funded at Coriell Institute for Medical Research · NIH-11140520 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores new ways to reprogram cancer cells, particularly in breast cancer and myeloid leukemias, by targeting specific proteins called CDKs to change how genes are expressed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Coriell Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Camden, United States) |
| Project start | August 16, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $535,736 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA254897-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140520 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with breast cancer or myeloid leukemias who might benefit from therapies that reprogram cancer cells or enhance immune responses could be ideal candidates for future studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancer does not involve the specific genetic pathways targeted by CDK inhibitors may not receive direct benefit from this particular approach.
What this research studies
Epigenetic therapy aims to change how cancer genes work, and this project focuses on a new class of drugs that target Cyclin Dependent Kinases (CDKs). Researchers found that inhibiting CDK9 can activate helpful genes, like those that suppress tumors, while also turning off harmful genes that promote cancer growth. This approach also appears to boost the immune system's ability to fight cancer, potentially making existing immune therapies more effective. By understanding and manipulating these CDK pathways, this work seeks to develop novel strategies to make cancer cells more vulnerable to treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to new treatments that reprogram cancer cells and make them more responsive to existing therapies, especially immune-based ones.
How similar studies have gone: While DNA methyltransferase inhibitors have shown success in epigenetic therapy, this specific approach targeting CDKs as epigenetic drugs is a newer discovery with promising preliminary data.
Where this research is happening
-
Coriell Institute for Medical Research
Camden, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Issa, Jean-Pierre J. — Coriell Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Issa, Jean-Pierre J.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Mysterious DNA marks in sperm and eggs: how sex shapes germline methylation
This grant looks at how DNA methylation patterns in sperm and eggs become different between the sexes and why that matters for fertility and healthy offspring.
-
NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository Support
A national biobank helps scientists by keeping high-quality human cell lines and DNA from people with genetic differences and healthy individuals for research and teaching.
-
Centralized bank of human cell lines and DNA for biomedical research
A national repository funded by NIH provides high-quality human cell lines and DNA from people with inherited disorders and diverse backgrounds to researchers.
-
Human Genetic Cell Repository for Biomedical Research
A national resource center will keep and expand a library of well-documented human cell lines and DNA from people with inherited disorders and diverse backgrounds to help researchers study genetic diseases.
-
NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository for Biomedical Research
This NIH grant supports Coriell to maintain and expand a centralized collection of human cell lines and DNA from people with inherited disorders and diverse backgrounds to speed biomedical discoveries.
-
NHGRI Sample Repository for Human Genetic Research
A national resource is renewed to provide a large, publicly accessible collection of human biospecimens and genomic data to support trustworthy genetic research.
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.