Marquette University Professor Receives $1.68 Million to Study Chromosomal Interactions in Cancer and Degenerative Diseases

Strategic Insights -

Dr. Nicholas Reiter, an assistant professor of chemistry at Marquette University, has been awarded $1.68 million in R01 funding from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences to investigate the misregulation of RNA binding proteins that lead to degenerative disorders and cancer. Reiter's project, "Structural transitions and RNA-mediated mechanisms of LSD1," aims to develop RNA-based therapeutics for targeted cancers by understanding the crucial roles of RNA structure and RNA-chromatin associated protein interactions in maintaining genome stability.

Key Takeaways:

  • Dr. Nicholas Reiter, a chemistry professor at Marquette University, has received $1.68 million in R01 funding from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences to study the misregulation of RNA binding proteins in degenerative disorders and cancer.
  • Reiter's project, "Structural transitions and RNA-mediated mechanisms of LSD1," will be an integrative structural and cell biology study that will aid in the development of RNA-based therapeutics for targeted cancers.
  • The study will focus on the hypothesis that RNA structure and RNA-chromatin associated protein interactions play important roles in maintaining genome stability and will examine the role of higher-order RNA topologies in cancer-associated protein interactions.
  • Reiter and his co-investigator, Dr. Huaiying Zhang, will use a combined biochemical and cell biology approach to demonstrate how specific nuclei acid structures engage with LSD1 and contribute to the observed clustering properties of telomeres in cancer cells.
  • The NIH's Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by the NIH, providing support for health-related research and development.
  • The National Institute of General Medical Sciences supports basic research that increases understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Statistics:

  • $1.68 million: The amount of R01 funding received by Dr. Nicholas Reiter from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
  • 2nd R01 award: This is Dr. Reiter's second R01 grant, following his first R01 grant, which was awarded based on his discovery of an RNA binding site on the lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) protein.
  • $25 billion: The annual budget of the NIH, which supports a wide range of biomedical research, including the work of Dr. Reiter.

Sources:

  • Marquette University news release: "Chemistry professor receives $1.7 million R01 grant to study chromosomal interactions, degenerative disorders and cancer"
  • National Institutes of Health: "Research Project Grant (R01)"