Treating cancer by blocking the MYC pathway
Targeting the MYC Pathway for the Treatment of Cancer
This project aims to create new treatments that block the MYC pathway for people whose tumors are driven by MYC.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159565 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team is building on decades of lab work showing that many tumors depend on MYC to grow. They will use engineered mouse cancer models, cell lines, CRISPR tools, and other laboratory methods to find ways to block MYC activity and to study effects on both tumors and the immune system. The investigators plan to develop new drug approaches and testing strategies based on those findings. If lab results are promising, the work would be pushed toward clinical testing in people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with cancers that show high MYC activity—such as certain leukemias, sarcomas, liver, lung, or kidney cancers—who may be eligible for future clinical trials.
Not a fit: People whose cancers are not driven by MYC or who require immediate standard treatments are unlikely to see short-term benefit from this primarily preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new targeted therapies that shrink or control many types of MYC-driven cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Suppressing MYC in animal and lab models has often caused tumors to regress, but direct MYC-targeting treatments remain largely experimental and are not yet standard care.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Felsher, Dean W — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Felsher, Dean W
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.