Why some small cell lung cancers stop responding to cisplatin
Official title: The role of NFIB-MAST1 signaling in mediating adaptive cisplatin resistance in SCLC
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Science Center · NIH-11283999 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how a specific NFIB–MAST1 signaling pathway may cause cisplatin resistance in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), aiming to help people whose cancer returns after initial chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Science Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $375,936 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA249305-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11283999 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with small cell lung cancer—especially those whose tumors are ASCL1-high or who have relapsed after cisplatin-based chemotherapy—are the most relevant candidates for this line of research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-small cell lung cancers or SCLC tumors that are not ASCL1-high are less likely to benefit directly from findings focused on the NFIB–MAST1 pathway.
What this research studies
If you or your tumor are involved, researchers will measure NFIB and MAST1 activity in tumor samples and use lab-grown SCLC cells and patient-derived tumor grafts to model how cancers become resistant to cisplatin. They use genetic knockdown, protein interaction mapping, and database mining to see whether cisplatin stabilizes NFIB and drives MAST1 to protect cancer cells. The team has already tested this approach in cell lines and tumor grafts and will extend those lab findings to better understand which tumors rely on this pathway.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to ways to prevent or reverse cisplatin resistance so chemotherapy remains effective longer for people with SCLC.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical laboratory work and patient-derived tumor graft studies already suggest that blocking MAST1 can re-sensitize ASCL1-high SCLC to cisplatin, but clinical testing of this specific pathway is still novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Science Center
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jin, Lingtao — University of Texas Hlth Science Center
- Study coordinator: Jin, Lingtao
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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.