How tissue stiffness affects oral cancer spread
Official title: Material Stiffness Directs Oral Cancer Migration
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11535333 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A researcher at UC San Diego is studying how the stiffness of mouth tissue influences the behavior of oral cancer cells in people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | July 8, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $112,050 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA280279-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11535333 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with oral squamous cell carcinoma or precancerous oral lesions, whose tissue samples may be studied.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without oral cancer are not the target of this research.
What this research studies
This project explores how a stiffer tissue environment may drive oral cancer cells to become more aggressive, using human cells and tissue samples from adults. It looks at molecular pathways activated by stiffness, including EMT-related changes, to understand how cancer progresses. The work aims to connect physical properties of the tumor environment to observable changes in cancer cell behavior that could guide future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding stiffness-driven cancer spread could lead to new treatments that limit invasion and reduce surgery-related morbidity for patients with oral cancers.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data in related tissues suggest that stiffness can influence cancer cell behavior, supporting potential relevance here.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Engler, Adam J — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Engler, Adam J
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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.