Engineered Colon Cancer Tissue in Obese Environments
Official title: Engineered Colon Cancer Tissue to Examine the Role of the Obese Microenvironment in Tumor Aggressiveness
Funded at Auburn University at Auburn · NIH-11355575 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to study how obesity-related changes in the tumor environment influence colorectal cancer using patient-derived, lab-made colon cancer models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Auburn University at Auburn NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Auburn, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $569,094 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA267170-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11355575 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with colorectal cancer or obesity-related colorectal cancer features, whose tumor samples may be used to develop and validate models.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without colorectal cancer or with non-obese tumor microenvironments may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will create tissue-engineered, patient-derived colon cancer models that mimic obesity-related conditions and test how these environments affect tumor growth and behavior. They will compare these models to actual patient tumors to ensure they reflect real disease. The project combines expertise in cancer biology, tissue engineering, obesity, and data analysis to understand how the obese microenvironment changes tumor signaling and progression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal targets to slow or prevent obesity-related colorectal cancer progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research supports that obesity can worsen colorectal cancer; this project builds a more clinically relevant model to study it.
Where this research is happening
-
Auburn University at Auburn
Auburn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lipke, Elizabeth a — Auburn University at Auburn
- Study coordinator: Lipke, Elizabeth a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding Colon Cancer Growth in Obese Patients
This project explores how obesity affects the growth and behavior of colon cancer cells to find new ways to help patients.
-
Investigating how obesity affects colon cancer growth
This study is looking at how being overweight might change the way colorectal cancer grows and behaves, using special lab models that mimic real tumors, to help find better treatment options for patients.
-
Colon Cancer Family Registry Cohort study for smarter prevention and care
A large international group is following thousands of people with colorectal cancer and their relatives to better understand risk, causes, and outcomes so future patients can get better guidance and treatment.
-
Adipome biomarkers in obese TNBC mice for targeted therapy
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Bioengineered Networking Microbes for Targeted Colon Cancer Therapy
A project tests a engineered bacteria-based therapy designed to target colon tumors and boost the body’s immune response in people with colon cancer.
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How DNA methylation patterns are kept in colon cancer and what happens when they’re disrupted
Researchers are studying how the molecular marks that control gene activity are maintained in colon cancer and how breaking these marks affects cancer growth and treatment response.
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.