Mapping fats and gene activity inside individual tumor cells
Tumor Metabolic Profiling by Multiplexed Single-Cell Lipid and mRNA Imaging
This project uses a new imaging method to visualize fats and gene activity inside individual tumor cells to help people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11309089 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you donate tumor tissue, researchers will use a custom tunable laser combined with confocal microscopes to map lipid molecules in intact tumor samples using spectral coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. They will also capture mRNA and protein patterns so each cell's lipid makeup can be linked to gene activity. The work is done at single-cell and subcellular resolution across different cells in the tumor microenvironment. That spatial detail could reveal how cancer cells and nearby cells use fats to survive and resist treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with solid tumors who are undergoing biopsy or surgery and can donate tumor tissue for research are the best candidates to contribute samples.
Not a fit: Patients who cannot or do not provide tumor tissue, those with blood cancers, or anyone expecting direct therapeutic benefit from participation are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve tumor diagnostics and point to new treatment targets that interfere with fat-driven cancer survival.
How similar studies have performed: Prior mass-spectrometry lipid analyses and spatial transcriptomics have shown related patterns, but combining single-cell lipid imaging with mRNA mapping is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heilshorn, Sarah C — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Heilshorn, Sarah C
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.