Building realistic 3D bone tumor models to find better treatments
Official title: Engineering 3D Osteosarcoma Models to Elucidate Biology and Inform Drug Discovery
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11308655 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Making 3D bone-tumor models to help find more effective drug combinations for children and young adults with osteosarcoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $637,970 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA276872-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11308655 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Most relevant to children and young adults with osteosarcoma, especially those with tumors that are resistant to standard chemotherapy or have metastasized.
✕Less likely to help
People without osteosarcoma or patients who need immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from this lab-focused project.
What this research studies
Researchers will grow osteosarcoma cells in lab-made 3D bone-like scaffolds that include mineral components similar to real bone to better mimic tumors in the body. They will combine these models with high-resolution genomic tools (for example ATAC-seq) to map tumor diversity and mechanisms of drug resistance. The team will run higher-throughput drug combination screens on these 3D models to spot therapies that work better than standard chemotherapy. The goal is to use findings from these more realistic models to guide future therapies for patients with chemo-resistant or metastatic osteosarcoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reveal why some osteosarcomas resist chemotherapy and point to new drug combinations that work better for patients.
How similar studies have gone: 3D tissue-engineered tumor models have improved drug prediction in other cancers, but bone-specific mineralized models for osteosarcoma are newer and less proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Fan — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Yang, Fan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.