Understanding how specific RNA changes affect cell behavior during development and cancer.
Official title: Comprehensive identification and functional study of Esrp-regulated isoforms during epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11140878 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain proteins affect the way genes are switched on and off during important processes like development and cancer, which could help us understand conditions like orofacial clefts and lead to better treatments for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | March 12, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $763,886 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HD114705-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140878 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals with orofacial clefts or related developmental disorders, as well as patients with cancers where EMT plays a significant role.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to RNA splicing or EMT may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of alternative RNA splicing in the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is crucial for normal development and cancer progression. By using advanced sequencing technologies, the study aims to identify and characterize the various RNA isoforms regulated by Epithelial-splicing regulatory proteins (ESRP1/2). The goal is to understand how these isoforms contribute to conditions like orofacial clefts and other developmental anomalies. Patients may benefit from insights that could lead to improved diagnostics and therapies targeting these molecular changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better understanding and treatment options for patients with developmental anomalies and certain cancers.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding RNA splicing and its implications in various diseases, indicating that this approach has potential for significant breakthroughs.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liao, Eric Chien-Wei — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Liao, Eric Chien-Wei
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Emotional and biobehavioral links in parent-infant closeness
A program to understand how parent and baby feel and react to each other in early life, with the goal of guiding better child social and emotional development.
-
Leukodystrophy Clinical Careers and Mentorship Network
A program to train, mentor, and support clinicians and researchers to advance care for people with leukodystrophies.
-
Role of ATP1A3 mutations in sudden death related to epilepsy
Aims to understand how ATP1A3 gene changes may lead to sudden death in kids with epilepsy and is exploring new ways to prevent it.
-
Kids First Data Resource Center: cloud-enabled data sharing for childhood cancer research
A data resource project that makes pediatric cancer data and analyses more accessible to researchers, with the goal of advancing understanding and care for children with cancer.
-
PROMISE: A Network for Real-World Evidence in Rare Pediatric Cancers
A network will collect and harmonize pediatric cancer patient records from multiple centers to create high-quality real-world data that can support quicker, regulatory-ready insights when randomized trials aren’t feasible.
-
Data Hub Core for Down syndrome research
A data hub project is building a big, interoperable platform to securely share and analyze information from people with Down syndrome and related conditions.
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.