Why some people are more sensitive to DNA‑damaging chemicals
Official title: Modeling the Responsiveness of Sensitive Populations to Genotoxic Agents Using DNA Repair Inhibitors
Funded at Litron Laboratories, LTD. · NIH-11253560 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether blocking different DNA repair pathways in human cells can mimic people who are unusually sensitive to chemicals that damage DNA.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Litron Laboratories, LTD. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $823,805 |
| NIH project number | 2R44ES035550-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11253560 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Although not a clinical trial, the findings will be most relevant to people worried about chemical exposures, especially those with known or suspected DNA repair disorders or unusual sensitivity to environmental toxins.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate medical treatment for a health condition or those with unrelated diseases should not expect direct clinical benefit from this lab-based project.
What this research studies
Researchers use a standard human blood cell line with normal p53 and expose those cells to chemicals while adding small‑molecule drugs that block each major DNA repair pathway to model sensitive people. By comparing chemical responses with and without these repair inhibitors, they aim to reveal which repair defects make cells much more vulnerable. The platform is lab‑based and uses a panel of inhibitors chosen to cover base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, homologous recombination, and other pathways. Results are intended to help predict variable sensitivity across human populations and clarify molecular mechanisms of toxicity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help identify groups of people at higher risk from environmental or occupational chemical exposures and inform safer exposure limits or protections.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory work shows DNA repair capacity strongly affects sensitivity to genotoxins, but using a single cell line combined with a comprehensive panel of repair inhibitors to model sensitive subpopulations is a relatively new and less-tested strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Litron Laboratories, LTD.
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dertinger, Stephen D — Litron Laboratories, LTD.
- Study coordinator: Dertinger, Stephen D
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.