How epithelial cells coordinate polarity to build tissues and understand cancer spread
Official title: Cell Polarity Signaling Driving Collective Cell Behavior
Funded at University of Nevada Las Vegas · NIH-11428995 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project is studying how cells in tissues organize themselves and communicate to form healthy tissues and how these same processes can go wrong in cancer to drive invasion and spread.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Las Vegas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Las Vegas, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $410,545 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM165845-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11428995 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are patients with cancers where epithelial cell polarity and adhesion are disrupted, or where pancreatic tissue models are relevant to the disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancer biology does not involve epithelial polarity defects or who are studying non-polarity-related pathways may see less direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how epithelial cells align their polarity, stick to each other, and signal to coordinate collective movement within tissues. Researchers will study polarity signaling through the Scribble protein, using fruit fly models and human pancreatic organoids to connect basic biology with cancer-relevant behavior. By examining leader–follower dynamics in border cell migration and testing findings in more realistic mammalian tissues, the work aims to reveal how mechanical forces shape tissue Morphogenesis and cancer invasion. The ultimate goal is a unified framework describing how polarity signaling leads to emergent epithelial behaviors across scales, from single cells to tissue-level structures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform new approaches to prevent or limit cancer invasion and metastasis by targeting how cells coordinate movement and adhesion.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in model organisms and organoid systems has linked polarity signaling to cohesive cell movement, with growing relevance to human tissue behavior.
Where this research is happening
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University of Nevada Las Vegas
Las Vegas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Campanale, Joseph — University of Nevada Las Vegas
- Study coordinator: Campanale, Joseph
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.