Understanding how DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine is controlled in human cells
Official title: Control mechanisms of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine metabolism in human cells
Funded at Texas A&m University-Kingsville · NIH-11404864 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying how a DNA modification called 5hmC is regulated in human cells and how its misregulation is linked to cancer and treatment resistance, using human neuron models and gene-editing tools.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m University-Kingsville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kingsville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $138,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM145578-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11404864 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with cancers where 5hmC regulation is disrupted or patients interested in future neural and cancer epigenetics therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Participants themselves are not being recruited in this basic research; applicability to patient care would emerge through future translational studies.
What this research studies
This project aims to identify proteins that control the activity of TET enzymes and shape locus-specific 5hmC patterns in human neurons derived from stem cells. Using hiPSC-derived neurons, the researchers will test how candidate proteins influence DNA demethylation and 5hmC enrichment. They will also apply a blue-light CRISPR/Cas9 system to study 5hmC dynamics during DNA damage repair. The platform will support high-throughput assays to accelerate drug discovery and translational biomedical research. The ultimate goal is to deepen our understanding of epigenetic regulation in brain cells and its impact on cancer and therapy resistance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new targets and assays for cancer and neurological disease therapies by clarifying how 5hmC is controlled in human cells.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work links 5hmC dynamics to cancer and brain biology, with ongoing development of neuronal models; this project builds on that foundation with a novel CRISPR-based approach.
Where this research is happening
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Texas A&m University-Kingsville
Kingsville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Haeyoung — Texas A&m University-Kingsville
- Study coordinator: Kim, Haeyoung
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.