Targeting weak spots in small cell lung cancer subtypes to improve treatment
Official title: Impact of recurrent genetic alterations on SCLC subtypes and therapeutic response
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11171407 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are trying CDK2 and PARP drugs, alone and with immunotherapy, for people who have different genetic subtypes of small cell lung cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 16, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $351,713 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA288368-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171407 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with a diagnosis of small cell lung cancer, especially those whose tumors have relapsed after chemotherapy or whose tumors have specific co-mutations (for example TP53/RB1 with MYC, KMT2D, STK11, or PTEN), would be the most relevant group for follow-up clinical testing.
✕Less likely to help
People without small cell lung cancer or whose tumors lack the specific genetic changes studied are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
This project uses lab-grown cell lines and new animal models that carry the same genetic changes doctors see in people with small cell lung cancer to learn how those changes affect treatment response. Scientists will create tumors with common SCLC mutations (like TP53 and RB1 plus others such as MYC, KMT2D, STK11 or PTEN) and treat them with drugs that target DNA replication stress and repair. They will compare responses across subtypes and test combinations of targeted drugs with immunotherapy using immune-competent models. The goal is to see which genetic patterns make tumors more or less likely to respond so future treatments can be matched to a patient’s tumor.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug combinations or biomarkers that help doctors pick better treatments for people with small cell lung cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Some early lab work and limited clinical data support using PARP inhibitors in subsets of SCLC, but combining CDK2 inhibition with PARP inhibitors and immunotherapy is a newer approach with limited prior clinical evidence.
Where this research is happening
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New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wong, Kwok Kin — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Wong, Kwok Kin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Role of Twice-Daily Thoracic Radiotherapy in Limited-Stage SCLC in the Immunotherapy Era
This project looks at whether giving twice-daily radiotherapy for limited-stage small cell lung cancer still helps patients today who are also getting immunotherapy.
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SCLC model creation and therapy testing
A cancer research program using mouse models and engineered human and mouse cells to study small cell lung cancer and test potential treatments.
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Impact of genetic changes on SCLC subtypes and treatment response
This project explores how specific genetic changes in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) affect the disease and how it responds to targeted drugs.
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Repair mechanisms for DNA lesions in small cell lung cancer
Researchers are studying how cancer cells with small cell lung cancer respond or become resistant to treatment by looking at the ways DNA damage is repaired.
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Understanding how replication stress affects a hard-to-treat breast cancer gene patients may carry
This grant explores how certain breast cancer gene defects interact with replication stress to influence cancer cell survival and treatment resistance, with potential implications for therapies in patients with BRCA2-related breast cancer.
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Replication Stress Sensing Defects in Small Cell Lung Cancer
A study in people might not be involved directly, but it aims to understand why a common lung cancer responds poorly to therapy over time by examining how cancer cells handle replication stress.
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.