Understanding gene pathways in individual cancer cells
Gene set analysis of single cell genomics
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · NIH-11138579
New computer tools will combine gene signals from individual cancer cells so doctors can get a clearer picture of what’s happening inside tumors.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | DARTMOUTH COLLEGE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (HANOVER, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11138579 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project builds software to read gene activity from thousands of single cells taken from tumor tissue and related samples. Current approaches often average signals across groups of cells, which can hide rare but important cell types; these tools aim to recover information at the level of each cell by combining genes into biological pathways. The methods will use single-cell measurements of RNA, DNA accessibility, and proteins and apply statistical approaches to reduce noise and sparsity. The goal is to make it easier to spot distinct cell types and cell-to-cell interactions that matter for cancer behavior and treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with cancer who can provide tumor tissue or whose clinical samples are being processed with single-cell technologies for research.
Not a fit: Patients without tumor samples or whose care does not involve single-cell profiling are unlikely to see direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help researchers and clinicians identify rare or resistant tumor cell types and pathways that point to better-targeted treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Related single-cell and pathway-analysis methods have shown promise in early studies, but applying gene-set testing at the single-cell level is still a fairly new approach.
Where this research is happening
HANOVER, UNITED STATES
- DARTMOUTH COLLEGE — HANOVER, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: FROST, HILDRETH — DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
- Study coordinator: FROST, HILDRETH
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.
Conditions: Cancers