Sanford Research receives NIH grant for skeletal genetics
Contact:
Jon Berg
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / Jon.Berg@SanfordHealth.org
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Jianning Tao, PhD, and his lab of researchers at Sanford Research recently received a nearly $2.5 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The five-year grant supports Dr. Tao’s research to investigate two key genetic pathways known to influence tumor development: p53 and NOTCH. The project will better understand how these two pathways impact the origin and development of osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer often developing in teenagers and young adults.
The p53 pathway is often referred to as the “guardian of the genome” due to its crucial role in preventing cells from becoming cancerous. When mutations occur in the p53 gene, this protective mechanism can fail – allowing abnormal cells to multiply and form tumors.
The NOTCH protein plays a vital role in controlling how cells communicate with each other to regulate growth, differentiation and tissue development. Mutations in these pathways can contribute to rapid tumor cell reproduction and resistance to certain therapies.
Dr. Tao’s research will better understand how both p53 and NOTCH pathways interact in skeletal diseases, like osteosarcoma. By understanding these interactions, the research aims to identify new opportunities for more effective treatment options.
“I’ve spent the past two decades researching various skeletal diseases, including osteosarcoma,” said Dr. Tao, assistant scientist and manager of the Tao Lab at Sanford Research. “This grant allows our lab to enhance our research to better understand how p53 and NOTCH work together. We hope to uncover new ways to disrupt tumor growth to help young patients living with this rare bone cancer and other skeletal diseases.”
Dr. Tao’s lab’s main focus and goal is to dissect molecular mechanisms underlying NOTCH-related skeletal diseases. The lab hopes to provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of skeletal diseases, explore regulatory and biochemical mechanisms, and open new opportunities for effective treatments of the diseases.
Dr. Tao received his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Tennessee.
For more information about Sanford Research, visit Research.SanfordHealth.org.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves 2.4 million patients and more than 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes 56 hospitals, more than 270 clinic locations, 144 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, nearly 1,000 active clinical trials and studies, and nine world clinic locations around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
