# Cell Competition in Development and Homeostasis

> **NIH NIH R01** · ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2021 · $36,073

## Abstract

Abstract Parent Award
The genes that control many aspects of cellular function are contained on chromosomes in the cell
nucleus. If these genes or the chromosomes that carry them become damaged, many aspects of cell
function can be altered. Gene and chromosome changes can cause birth defects, accumulate during
aging, are found in nearly every cancer, and are thought to have many adverse effects on health. This
proposal hypothesizes that a set of 80 genes, dispersed around the various chromosomes, are exploited
to recognize cells with large-scale genetic changes and eliminate them before they affect health. These
genes encode ribosomal proteins, each one of which assembles into a unique position in the ribosome, so
that ribosome assembly is affected if any are limiting. Studies in the fruitfly Drosophila document a
regulatory pathway that is activated by ribosomal protein gene imbalance and that leads to cell elimination
by cell competition with nearby normal cells. One goal of this proposal is to verify that ribosomal protein
genes, and the regulatory genes that respond to their imbalance, are able to target cells with genetic
damage for competitive elimination, and to define the range of genome damage that is subject to this
regulatory mechanism in somatic tissues. A second goal is to assess the role of cell competition in
protecting the germline from aneuploid genetic changes that might lead to birth defects. These studies
make use of targeted genetic recombination methods using fruitfly chromosomes. These studies will
establish the importance and scope of a newly-recognized mechanism that can remove cells with large-
scale genetic damage, and which may play an important role in the prevention of birth defects and of
cancer, as well as in healthy aging and prevention of age-related diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10389459
- **Project number:** 3R01GM104213-08S1
- **Recipient organization:** ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Nicholas E Baker
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $36,073
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2013-09-20 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10389459

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10389459, Cell Competition in Development and Homeostasis (3R01GM104213-08S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10389459. Licensed CC0.

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