Preventing spread of skin and mouth squamous cell cancers to the lung
Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets of SCC Metastasis
This work looks at why squamous cell cancers of the skin and mouth spread to the lungs and seeks new targets to stop that spread for people with these cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Northern California Health Care Sys NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mather, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11130943 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use genetically engineered mouse models that closely mimic human skin and oral squamous cell carcinomas to study how tumors travel to the lung. They grow tumor cell lines from these models and compare cancers that do and do not metastasize while focusing on cancer stem cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts in different immune environments. The team examines changes in the extracellular matrix and gene expression to find markers and pathways that drive metastasis and to test ways to block those pathways.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with skin or oral squamous cell carcinoma—especially those at higher risk for lung metastasis or willing to donate tumor samples for research.
Not a fit: People with cancers other than squamous cell carcinoma or patients seeking immediate clinical treatments may not directly benefit from this preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify treatments that prevent or reduce lung metastases and improve survival for patients with skin or oral squamous cell carcinoma.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies suggest targeting cancer stem cells and tumor fibroblasts can reduce metastasis, but the spontaneous SCC-to-lung metastasis models and specific targets here are relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Mather, United States
- VA Northern California Health Care Sys — Mather, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Xiao-Jing — VA Northern California Health Care Sys
- Study coordinator: Wang, Xiao-Jing
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.