Understanding how cancer cells talk to the immune system and how to use that to treat ovarian cancer
Official title: Signaling basis of senescence-associated secretory phenotype and its implications in epithelial ovarian cancer
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-11370676 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how aging-like changes in ovarian cancer cells drive harmful signals and tests new ways to block those signals to improve treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | August 2, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $521,509 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA276569-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370676 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with epithelial ovarian cancer who have BRCA mutations or related BRCA alterations and are facing platinum-based chemotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancer does not rely on SASP-related pathways may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
Therapy-induced senescence helps stop tumor growth but also causes cancer cells to release SASP factors that may fuel relapse and immune evasion. The research aims to understand how TXNRD1 and the cGAS-STING pathway control the SASP during platinum-based therapy in epithelial ovarian cancer. By uncovering these mechanisms, the team plans to design combination therapies that suppress SASP while preserving the growth-arrest state of the cells. This could lead to more durable responses for patients with ovarian cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new treatment approaches that make ovarian cancer therapies more effective and reduce relapse by taming harmful SASP signals.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show SASP and cGAS-STING pathways influence therapy responses, supporting this approach but precise targets like TXNRD1 are still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Rugang — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Rugang
Related research
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TAG72 CAR-T therapy for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer
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CAR T-cell therapy targeting TAG72 for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer
This trial tries a CAR T‑cell treatment that targets the TAG72 protein for people with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, given directly into the abdomen.
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How fat use changes make ovarian cancer more invasive and chemo‑resistant
This project looks at whether shifts in how ovarian cancer cells use fats make them more likely to spread and resist chemotherapy for people with epithelial ovarian cancer.
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.