Dana-Farber Researchers Discover How Major Nuclear Protein Complexes Control Specialized Gene Regulation in Cancer and Beyond
Gabrielle’s Angels grantee Dr. Cigall Kadoch at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was part of a team of researchers who discovered a new part of an important gene-regulating machine in our cells, called the SWIFT domain on mSWI/SNF complexes, which helps these molecular machines find and activate specific genes. This mechanism is crucial for normal cell function but can also fuel the activity of genes that promote cancer when misused. In lab studies, disrupting the interaction between SWIFT and cancer-related proteins stopped cancer cell growth, suggesting this domain could be a promising target for future cancer drugs. The work helps explain how cells control when and where genes are turned on and opens up new avenues for therapies that block disease-promoting gene regulation.
Dr. Kadoch’s original research, supported by Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation funding, focused on mammalian SWI/SNF (also called BAF) chromatin remodeling complexes, which are large protein machines that help regulate gene activity and are critically implicated in leukemia and other cancers.
The new Dana-Farber discovery identifies and characterizes a specific domain called SWIFT on these mSWI/SNF complexes that directs them to bind transcription factors and activate particular genes—especially genes that drive cancer growth.
This advance builds directly on Kadoch’s foundational work showing that mSWI/SNF complexes are key regulators of chromatin and that their mis-function contributes to malignancy. It deepens mechanistic understanding of how these complexes find and regulate specialist gene programs, creating a more precise target for potential therapies based on the very biology your organization has helped to advance.
Gabrielle’s Angels’ support helped propel research into SWI/SNF chromatin regulators—a trajectory which has now culminated in the identification of the SWIFT domain as a promising new angle for cancer treatment.
Read the full update here: https://www.dana-farber.org/newsroom/news-releases/2026/dana-farber-researchers-discover-how-major-nuclear-protein-complexes-control-specialized-gene-regulation-in-cancer-and-beyond