Understanding how rogue RNA fuels melanoma cancer
Official title: Investigating the function of aberrant RNA in cancer
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11448489 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant supports research to understand how abnormal RNA molecules drive melanoma growth and how this could lead to new cancer treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 4, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $569,552 |
| NIH project number | 1R37CA303323-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11448489 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with metastatic melanoma could benefit from future therapies arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Current patients are not directly enrolled in this basic science study.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how premature, abnormal RNAs accumulate in cancer cells and promote melanoma. They will use a zebrafish model to identify the smallest RNA sequences that drive tumor acceleration and then test these findings in human melanoma cells. The project combines genetics and RNA biology to uncover a noncoding mechanism of cancer progression with potential targets for therapy. The work emphasizes comparing fish and human RNA degradation pathways to ensure relevance to people with melanoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new molecular targets to slow or stop melanoma progression.
How similar studies have gone: Past work in RNA biology and cancer has shown that RNA defects can drive tumor behavior, with zebrafish models enabling rapid genetic testing.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Insco, Megan Leigh — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Insco, Megan Leigh
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.