WIKIMEDIA COMMONS | The Zheng Lab at Georgetown University conducts novel research on telomeres as a potential cancer indicator.
A Georgetown University professor is continuing novel research on the impact of DNA patterns on breast cancer.
Yun-Ling Zheng, an associate professor of oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center, conducts research on dysfunction in telomeres, protective caps at the ends of chromosomal DNA that prevent DNA from getting damaged when cells divide in the body. Her recent research measures the length of telomeres, attempting to understand what role telomere function has in cancer development.
Zheng specifically focuses on telomere dysfunction, which occurs over time as cells continue to divide and telomeres get shorter and shorter — similar to how tips wear down after use. When telomeres get too short, the cell cannot divide anymore and stops working properly. Some scientists believe telomere dysfunction is linked to aging and other diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease and heart failure, making Zheng’s research crucial in identifying telomere dysfunction as an indicator of cancer.
Zheng’s most recent research, published in September 2024, shows a new method of telomere measurement, which can be used to detect individuals with abnormal telomere lengths before clinical symptoms of cancer and other degenerative diseases emerge.
Zheng said she decided to create her own techniques to measure telomere length after being unsatisfied with the techniques previously available.
“There are dozens of methods out there that have been developed in the past 20 years, but each one has its own limitations and pros and cons and I wasn’t satisfied with any of them,” Zheng wrote to The Hoya. “For five years, we have been trying to develop a better one through collaboration with bioengineering scientists.”
Zheng’s research is informed by her background as a clinician-turned-researcher. Zheng graduated from Jiangxi Medical College in 1984 and practiced medicine before turning to research work.
Zheng also serves as a mentor to undergraduate researchers, including Ayla Feng (SOH ’28) and Madeline Williams (CAS ’27).
Feng said the implications of this research could help predict cancer in patients.
“Knowing more about the physiological role of telomeres can potentially help predict cancer emergence, and telomere length can be an important predictive biomarker for certain types of cancer,” Feng wrote to The Hoya.
Williams said her work on DNA extraction projects in the lab was included in a published paper on Zheng’s research.
“To be a part of the publishing process as a co-author of a powerful methods paper, as a sophomore, was amazing,” Williams wrote to The Hoya.
Williams said her work in the lab focuses on using wet-lab techniques which helps analyze different samples from the body.
“I have done a lot of DNA extraction from whole blood, buffy coat, granulocyte and lymphocyte samples, ” Williams wrote.
Williams said being part of the Zheng Lab has changed her perspective on research, as well as equipped her with skills she plans to use as an aspiring medical doctor.
“I think many people perceive research as one person working in a lab for hours by themselves (not to say this hasn’t happened at times),” Williams wrote. “But, I have come to realize that research is actually inherently collaborative. It also requires diligence, focus, patience and a true interest in whatever field you are in.”
As the Zheng Lab continues to refine its methods and expand its understanding of telomere dysfunction, Zheng said she hopes its work will have real-world applications in cancer prevention, detection and treatment. By focusing on other aspects of telomeres, these methods expose early warning signs of genomic instability and offer more routes to risk assessment and therapy development.
“This is very exciting,” Zheng wrote. “It will change future research for the whole field — by focusing on multiple aspects of telomere abnormalities, not just average telomere length.”
Zheng said her ultimate motives are grounded in patient outcomes.
“After so many years of research, you want your product to actually promote health — to benefit the people who really need it,” Zheng wrote. “I feel that if we can succeed at helping them, it is very rewarding.”