How tissue stiffness and tension drive cancer and spread
Tissue mechanics reprograms the tissue to malignancy and metastasis
This project looks at how stiff or tense tissues can make normal cells become cancerous and help tumors spread, with a focus on breast and other solid cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180066 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team studies how the tissue scaffold (the extracellular matrix) and physical tension change cell behavior using 3D cell cultures and animal models that mimic stiff or inflamed tissues. They measure changes in cell signaling, cytoskeleton, and mitochondrial stress as well as how immune cells respond in those environments. Researchers will search for molecular signs (biomarkers) of high-risk tissues and test targets that might prevent or reverse stiffness-driven malignant changes. The goal is to use those findings to inform new tests for risk and new therapies to slow tumor growth and metastasis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast or other solid-organ cancers, and patients with chronically inflamed tissues at higher cancer risk, could be candidates for sample donation or future clinical trials stemming from this work.
Not a fit: Patients with blood cancers or those needing immediate clinical treatment may not directly benefit from this mechanobiology-focused research in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to tests that identify tissues at higher risk of cancer and to new drugs or prevention strategies that stop stiffness-driven tumor growth and spread.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory and animal studies support the idea that a stiff extracellular matrix promotes tumor aggression, but translating these findings into patient biomarkers and therapies remains early-stage.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weaver, Valerie Marie — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Weaver, Valerie Marie
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 below.