Understanding how cancer cells change identity to shape treatment responses
Official title: Genetic technology development for elucidating lineage plasticity mechanisms in cancer
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11603195 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing new genetic tools to map how cancer cells switch their identity, which could reveal new ways to stop therapy resistance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | August 21, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $176,092 |
| NIH project number | 7R50CA305054-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11603195 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with carcinomas (such as pancreatic or lung cancer) whose tumors exhibit lineage plasticity or differential responses to targeted therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancers do not rely on lineage plasticity or do not participate in a future translational step may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses advanced CRISPR-based screening and other genetic technologies to study how cancer cells in solid tumors like pancreatic and lung cancers alter their fate. By probing lineage identity, researchers aim to identify epigenetic regulators that drive these changes and affect tumor behavior and treatment response. The work focuses on high-throughput, double-knockout screens and marker-based screening platforms to uncover key regulators of cell fate in human cancer models. The goal is to translate these insights into strategies that could improve how cancers respond to targeted therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could highlight new targets to prevent cancer cells from changing identity and becoming resistant to treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies using CRISPR-based screens have revealed regulators of cancer cell fate in several models, supporting the potential of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Skopelitis, Damianos S. — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Skopelitis, Damianos S.
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.