Understanding how genetics affect radiation response in cancer treatment
Official title: Germline Genetic Modifiers of Radiation Response
Funded at Sri International · NIH-10741022 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how your genes might affect how well you respond to radiation therapy if you have breast cancer, with the hope of finding ways to adjust treatment to keep you safer and healthier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sri International NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Menlo Park, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $401,125 |
| NIH project number | 1R21CA274598-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10741022 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are breast cancer patients who are undergoing radiation therapy and have diverse genetic backgrounds.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not receiving radiation therapy or those with cancers other than breast cancer may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how genetic differences among patients influence their response to radiation therapy, particularly in those with breast cancer. By analyzing genetic variants and their association with radiation sensitivity, the study aims to identify patients who may be at higher risk for radiation-induced injuries. Using advanced techniques like genomics and cell culture, researchers will expose normal tissue cells from cancer patients to radiation to observe their responses. The goal is to develop predictive tools that can help tailor radiation doses to minimize harm and improve patient outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to personalized radiation therapy that reduces the risk of harmful side effects for cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using genetic profiling to predict patient responses to various treatments, indicating that this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Sri International
Menlo Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcdonald, John Tyson — Sri International
- Study coordinator: Mcdonald, John Tyson
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
ABCD-USA Consortium: A large, long-term study tracking brain development in youth
A large, long-term study at multiple sites is following thousands of children and teens to understand how their brains grow and relate to health, behavior, and environment.
-
BioCyc, MetaCyc, and EcoCyc knowledge bases expansion with AI assistance
Aims to speed up and improve the BioCyc family of knowledge bases that map genomes and metabolic pathways, using AI to accelerate data curation for researchers who study microbes and metabolism.
-
Tracking HIV, alcohol use, and brain aging with MRI
Aging people living with HIV who also have alcohol use disorder are being studied to understand how brain changes relate to balance, movement, and thinking over time using MRI.
-
NCANDA-SRI: Studying how adolescent drinking affects brain development and adulthood
A long-term study at SRI International follows teens who started drinking to see how it may change brain development and risk for alcohol use disorders as they grow into adults.
-
Brain changes behind thinking and movement problems in older people with HIV and Parkinson's
This project looks at brain changes that may explain why older people living with HIV sometimes have thinking and movement problems similar to Parkinson's.
-
ABCD brain and child development project at SRI
Following children who were 9–10 years old to learn how their brains, health, and behavior change from childhood into young adulthood.
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.