TIMELESS protein: how it affects cancer cells' aging and becoming aggressive
Roles of TIMELESS in oncogene-induced senescence and oncogenic transformation
The team is seeing if changing TIMELESS can help early cancer cells stay arrested and stop RAS-driven cancers from turning aggressive.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University New York Stony Brook NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stony Brook, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11171468 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research looks inside cancer cells to understand how TIMELESS controls DNA damage responses that make cells enter a protective aged state called senescence. Scientists will manipulate TIMELESS in lab-grown cancer cells and model systems to track replication stress, DNA repair signals, and whether cells escape senescence. The work focuses on oncogenes like RAS that drive some prostate and other cancers to find the molecular steps that let premalignant cells progress. Ultimately the team aims to reveal weak points that new drugs could target to keep early lesions from becoming malignant.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers driven by oncogenes such as RAS (for example some prostate cancers) would be the most likely candidates for future therapies based on this work.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers not driven by replication-stress pathways or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to benefit directly from this laboratory-focused research right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new ways to prevent early cancer lesions from progressing or to make tumors more sensitive to treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies show targeting replication-stress and fork-protection pathways can affect cancer cell survival, but focusing specifically on TIMELESS is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Stony Brook, United States
- State University New York Stony Brook — Stony Brook, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Hyungjin — State University New York Stony Brook
- Study coordinator: Kim, Hyungjin
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.