How blood-flow forces affect cancer cells that travel in the bloodstream
Official title: Influence Of Hemodynamic Shear Stress on Circulating Tumor Cells
Funded at Old Dominion University · NIH-11262883 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether the forces of blood flow help cancer cells survive and later spread in people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Old Dominion University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Norfolk, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $379,454 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA263550-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11262883 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be people with solid tumors or metastatic cancer who can donate blood samples for circulating tumor cell analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without active cancer or whose cancers do not release detectable circulating tumor cells are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers will examine cancer cells that enter the blood to learn how they survive the mechanical forces of circulation. They will expose tumor cells to fluid shear stress in the lab and use animal models to see if that resistance helps them form new tumors. The team will study the cell structures and molecules that allow cells to resist blood flow and test whether blocking those changes makes the cells more likely to be destroyed. The aim is to identify targets that could reduce the chance of metastatic spread.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to treatments that make circulating tumor cells easier to destroy and lower the risk of metastasis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab and animal research shows many cancer cells can resist blood-flow forces, but using that knowledge to block metastasis in patients is still novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Henry, Michael D — Old Dominion University
- Study coordinator: Henry, Michael D
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.