Understanding how cancer cells survive and die
Official title: MECHANISMS OF REGULATED CELL DEATH
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11406321 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how cancer cells evade death at the molecular level to learn why some cancers resist treatment.
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 | September 1, 2018 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,081,455 |
| NIH project number | 5R35CA231620-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406321 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers where programmed cell death pathways are disrupted may benefit from future therapies arising from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Not all cancers will respond to therapies targeting death pathways, and some patients may not experience direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project investigates the core pathways that control cell death in cancer, focusing on apoptosis and necroptosis and how these processes intersect with other cell functions. The team uses models of cancer allografts and xenografts to study cells that survive death signals, called flatliners, and how these survivors may become more aggressive. By exploring how survival mechanisms operate, the work aims to identify points where therapies could tip the balance toward cancer cell death. The long-term goal is to uncover targets that could prevent or treat cancer by restoring proper cell death pathways.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new strategies that make cancer cells die more reliably, potentially improving treatments for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that manipulating death pathways can affect tumor behavior in 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: Green, Douglas R. — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Green, Douglas R.
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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.