Understanding what makes small cell lung cancer spread using human stem cells
Official title: Unraveling Metastasis Drivers in Small Cell Lung Cancer via Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Approach
Funded at University of Chicago · NIH-11267980 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will use lung cells made from human stem cells and advanced genetic and sequencing tools to find what causes small cell lung cancer to spread, aiming to help people with SCLC.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $191,675 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA299377-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11267980 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with small cell lung cancer who can provide tumor tissue or participate in sample collection, including those with primary or metastatic disease, would be the most relevant participants or donors for related efforts.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without SCLC (for example, those with other lung cancer types) or those unable to provide tumor samples are unlikely to directly benefit from participating in sample collection for this project.
What this research studies
This project uses human pluripotent stem cells turned into pulmonary neuroendocrine cells, which are the likely cells of origin for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Scientists will introduce key SCLC mutations (RB1, TP53, MYC) into these cells and study how they form tumors and spread in laboratory and mouse models. The team will compare these stem-cell derived tumors with patient tumor samples and patient-derived xenografts, using single-cell sequencing and ATAC-seq to map cell states and chromatin changes linked to metastasis. Findings are intended to reveal cellular and molecular drivers that make SCLC so aggressive.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify molecular targets and biological insights that lead to new treatments to prevent or slow metastasis in SCLC patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior lab models and patient-derived xenografts have reproduced many features of SCLC and the team’s stem cell–derived approach has produced tumor-forming cells in mice, but directly targeting the drivers of metastasis remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Joyce Huanhuan — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Chen, Joyce Huanhuan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Brain metastasis targeting and therapy in small cell lung cancer
A new plan to study why small cell lung cancer spreads to the brain and how to treat those brain metastases with safer, more effective options.
-
Targeting a newly discovered cancer stem cell driver that helps non-small cell lung cancer spread
This project will test whether blocking a newly found regulator in cancer stem cells can slow progression and spread of non-small cell lung cancer.
-
Understanding how lung cancer cells work together to spread
This research aims to understand how groups of lung cancer cells communicate and move together, which causes cancer to spread throughout the body.
-
Understanding how small cell lung cancer spreads
This study is looking at how small cell lung cancer spreads aggressively by creating special lung cells from human stem cells, so researchers can better understand what makes the cancer grow and spread, helping to improve treatment for patients like you.
-
Understanding how small cell lung cancer spreads to the brain
This study is looking into how small cell lung cancer spreads to the brain, which can be a tough challenge for patients, and it hopes to find new ways to treat this issue by understanding how the cancer cells behave in the brain.
-
Finding new ways to target cancer stem cells in lung cancer
This study is looking at a type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to find new ways to treat it by understanding special cancer cells that help the disease grow and resist treatment, and patients may have the chance to try out these new treatments as they are developed.
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.