Creating diverse cancer models to improve treatment options
Official title: PDX Core
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11161646 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working to create models using tumor samples from people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds with advanced cancer, so we can better understand how cancer behaves and responds to treatments, ultimately helping to improve care for everyone.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | July 19, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $131,820 |
| NIH project number | 3U54CA283762-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11161646 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation are individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups diagnosed with advanced cancer.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not belong to underrepresented racial or ethnic groups or those with early-stage cancer may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models that represent diverse racial and ethnic populations, particularly those with advanced cancer. By collecting and expanding viable tumor tissues from underrepresented groups, the project aims to enhance the understanding of cancer characteristics and treatment responses. The PDX Core will serve as a central resource for these specimens, linking clinical data and molecular genomics to better inform personalized cancer therapies. This initiative seeks to address health disparities in cancer treatment and outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and personalized cancer treatments for diverse populations.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in using patient-derived models to improve cancer treatment, making this approach promising yet focused on underrepresented populations.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koblinski, Jennifer E — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Koblinski, Jennifer E
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Healthy Communities for Youth: Preventing Youth Violence in Richmond and Beyond
A community-centered program to reduce youth violence in Richmond, VA and similar communities by pairing youth voices, hospital-based support, and capacity-building for local groups.
-
S1P-S1PR1: How brain cells talk to each other during development
A study at Virginia Commonwealth University will look at how brain support cells called astrocytes communicate with neurons to shape brain circuits in development.
-
Leader cell mechanics drive collective tumor invasion in breast cancer
A small grant is funding research to understand how leader cancer cells at the edge of a tumor sense their environment and drive groups of cancer cells to invade, which could reveal new ways to stop metastasis in breast cancer.
-
How itch-sensing nerves affect skin defense against parasites
Scientists want to see if itching nerves in the skin influence how the body fights skin-hugging parasites like Schistosoma mansoni.
-
VA-ACCERT Center: Transforming Cancer Control in Virginia's public housing communities
A team at Virginia universities partners with public housing programs to spread proven ways to prevent cancer and improve cancer health in low-income communities.
-
PROMINENT cancer research: understanding how mutations in normal tissue relate to cancer growth
A cancer research project at a major university is exploring how DNA mutations in normal cells relate to the development of cancer, using animal models and human tissues to uncover clues that could inform prevention and treatment.
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.