Imaging chemical signals in breast cancer tumors
Integrated Imaging Tools for Intercellular Chemokine Signalling
This project is developing new imaging tools to see how tiny chemical signals between breast cancer cells and nearby tissue move and act, with the goal of helping people with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11139462 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers are building sensitive imaging methods that can visualize tiny signaling proteins called chemokines inside tumors over space and time. They will create molecular probes, high-resolution imaging, and computer models to map how CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 bind, move, and get taken up by cells. These techniques will be tested in laboratory-grown breast cancer cells and in living model systems to capture short, cell-scale signaling gradients that drive cancer cell movement. The aim is to produce tools researchers can use to design and test drugs that target chemokine signaling more precisely.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with breast cancer—especially those whose tumors show activity of the CXCL12/CXCR4 chemokine system—would be most relevant for future studies using these imaging methods.
Not a fit: People without breast cancer or whose tumors do not rely on chemokine signaling are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could help researchers design more precise therapies that block or redirect chemokine-driven tumor growth and spread.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has imaged chemokines and CXCR4, but accurately mapping short-range, cell-scale chemokine gradients in living tumors is relatively new and technically challenging.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Luker, Gary D — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Luker, Gary 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 below.