Understanding how pancreatic cancer cells change state to resist treatment
Official title: Defining epigenetic drivers of cell-state plasticity in pancreatic cancer
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11452447 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying how pancreatic cancer cells switch between different states to resist drugs, with a focus on a state that tends to be linked to worse outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 9, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $292,028 |
| NIH project number | 1K08CA308851-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11452447 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma whose tumors exhibit plasticity between basal and classical cell states.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not display the studied plasticity may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports work in mouse models that mimic human pancreatic cancer to watch how cancer cells switch between basal and classical states over time. Researchers will track these state changes in living animals and isolate cells along their differentiation paths to see what drives plasticity. The goal is to learn why some tumor cells rapidly adapt to therapies like KRAS inhibitors and chemotherapy and how to intervene. The work uses advanced genetic tools to manipulate and observe cell states in vivo, aiming to identify targets that prevent resistance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to therapies that limit cancer cell plasticity and improve responses to treatment for pancreatic cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical models have shown state-dependent therapy responses; this project builds on that evidence in more dynamic, in vivo systems.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Singhal, Anupriya — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Singhal, Anupriya
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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.