Optogenetic control of where tumors grow within organs
Official title: Optogenetic engineering of tumor topography in native tissue environments
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11457485 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to develop new genetic tools to make tumors start in specific parts of an organ, like head or tail of the pancreas, to better understand how location affects cancer behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $982,873 |
| NIH project number | 4DP2CA290967-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11457485 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers where tumor location within an organ is clinically relevant (e.g., pancreatic cancer) and who may benefit from advances in spatially targeted cancer models.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals seeking immediate therapeutic options or those with cancers not influenced by tumor position within an organ may not directly benefit from this basic mechanistic research.
What this research studies
This project seeks to create and test advanced genetic methods that control where tumors appear inside an organ, so researchers can study how tumor location changes disease features. Researchers will use light-activated optogenetic techniques and Cre-recombinase systems in mouse models to restrict oncogenic mutations to precise anatomical sites. The goal is to reveal how the tissue environment and position influence tumor growth, progression, and response to treatments. The work addresses a key gap in modeling spatial patterns of cancer in a way that could inform future therapies for patients with region-specific tumor biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how tumor location affects cancer behavior could lead to more targeted therapies and personalized treatment strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous models have shown that tumor location can influence biology, but precise spatial control in living organisms remains technically challenging and this project aims to advance that capability.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maddipati, Ravikanth — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Maddipati, Ravikanth
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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.