Understanding how brain cancer cells change and resist treatment
Cellular Plasticity and equilibrium in GBM Progression
This project looks at how glioblastoma brain cancer cells adapt to chemotherapy, hoping to find new ways to make treatments work better for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11098754 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project aims to understand why glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumors often become resistant to chemotherapy. Researchers are studying individual cancer cells to see how they change and survive during treatment, which can lead to the tumor growing back. They have found a specific protein, RRM2, that helps cancer cells repair their DNA and adapt to the chemotherapy drug temozolomide (TMZ). The goal is to learn more about how RRM2 causes this resistance and then test a new medication that can block RRM2, potentially making chemotherapy more effective.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research focuses on understanding glioblastoma at a cellular level, and while not directly recruiting, it is relevant to patients with glioblastoma who experience treatment resistance.
Not a fit: Patients without glioblastoma or those not undergoing chemotherapy for this condition would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that overcome chemotherapy resistance in glioblastoma, improving outcomes for patients.
How similar studies have performed: While the specific mechanism of RRM2 in TMZ resistance is being newly investigated here, other studies have explored cellular resistance mechanisms in cancer, and RRM2 inhibitors have been explored in different cancer types.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ahmed, Atique U. — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Ahmed, Atique U.
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.