Why small cell lung cancer survives DNA replication stress
Official title: Mechanisms of Replication Stress Tolerance in SCLC
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11171388 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for the molecular tricks small cell lung cancer (SCLC) uses to tolerate DNA damage so new treatments can help people whose tumors resist chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 16, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $351,711 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA288368-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171388 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with small cell lung cancer, especially those with relapsed or chemotherapy-resistant disease who may benefit from new targeted treatments in the future.
✕Less likely to help
People without SCLC (for example, other lung cancer types) or whose tumors do not rely on the identified replication-stress pathways are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
This project studies SCLC cells to map the pathways that let tumors survive high levels of DNA replication stress. Researchers will use lab-grown SCLC cell lines and experimental models to identify replication stress response pathways (including CHK1-related signaling) that protect cancer cells. They will test how these pathways contribute to chemotherapy resistance and search for weaknesses that drugs might exploit. The goal is to point toward targeted approaches that could overcome relapse and chemo-resistance in SCLC.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new drug targets that make resistant SCLC tumors more sensitive to existing or novel therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical work targeting replication stress pathways (such as CHK1 inhibitors) has shown promise in lab models, but translating these findings into effective SCLC treatments has been difficult so far.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Tony Tung — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Huang, Tony Tung
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Role of Twice-Daily Thoracic Radiotherapy in Limited-Stage SCLC in the Immunotherapy Era
This project looks at whether giving twice-daily radiotherapy for limited-stage small cell lung cancer still helps patients today who are also getting immunotherapy.
-
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A cancer research program using mouse models and engineered human and mouse cells to study small cell lung cancer and test potential treatments.
-
Impact of genetic changes on SCLC subtypes and treatment response
This project explores how specific genetic changes in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) affect the disease and how it responds to targeted drugs.
-
Repair mechanisms for DNA lesions in small cell lung cancer
Researchers are studying how cancer cells with small cell lung cancer respond or become resistant to treatment by looking at the ways DNA damage is repaired.
-
Understanding how replication stress affects a hard-to-treat breast cancer gene patients may carry
This grant explores how certain breast cancer gene defects interact with replication stress to influence cancer cell survival and treatment resistance, with potential implications for therapies in patients with BRCA2-related breast cancer.
-
Replication Stress Sensing Defects in Small Cell Lung Cancer
A study in people might not be involved directly, but it aims to understand why a common lung cancer responds poorly to therapy over time by examining how cancer cells handle replication stress.
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.