Making head and neck cancer mouse models more useful for patients
Improving the translational value of head and neck cancer patient-in-mouse models
This project compares different ways of growing patients' head and neck tumors in mice to see which methods best reflect the human disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11211997 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have head and neck cancer and agree to donate tumor tissue after surgery, researchers will implant pieces of your tumor into mice using different approaches (for example, under the skin versus in the original organ site) and follow how the tumors change. They will track tumor growth, genetics, and response to treatments over multiple rounds of growth in mice. The team will test common therapies in these models to see which implantation and handling methods most closely match what happens in people. The goal is to make lab tests more predictive of which treatments will work for patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with head and neck cancer who are undergoing surgery and can donate tumor tissue for research.
Not a fit: Patients who are not having surgery, whose tumors cannot be established in mice, or who need immediate treatment decisions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make preclinical tumor models better at predicting which treatments will help people with head and neck cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Patient-derived xenografts have been useful in some cancers but often do not fully predict patient outcomes, so this project builds on prior methods to improve their reliability.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kimple, Randall J. — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Kimple, Randall J.
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.